Dancing With The Doctor
by I'msorrymylove
Summary: After losing her father on the Game Station but getting the Doctor, Kayla Hark feels...different. Unneeded adrenalin has started to course through her and her heart has started to speed up. How much more can she take before she snaps? Second in the Kayla Hark series.
1. The Christmas Invasion Pt 1

Jackie Tyler picked up a red bauble and hung it on her white Christmas tree which stood in the corner of her living room. Without turning around, she picked up two presents to put under her tree when she paused, one of the labels catching her eye. Suddenly weary, she sat down slowly, rereading the label she had written.

_To Rose. Merry Christmas. Lots of love, Mum x._

Jackie sighed deeply. It had been almost a month since she last saw Rose. Each day made her more worried, and even angrier at that Doctor for taking her girl away. Where was she?

* * *

Mickey was working in the shop, his fellow work-mates had the radio blaring the usual "Marry Christmas" song, and then he heard the sound he had made his ears listen for.

"Hey, turn that down. Hey, Stevo, turn that off! Turn it off!" He commanded, wanting to make sure. Obediently, Stevo turned the radio off, letting the TARDIS engines play around the room. Mickey stood still in shock before he regain movement and ran out of the shop.

* * *

Jackie had gathered some energy and was hanging up some Christmas cards on a length of string that was attached on the wall. She _defiantly _wasn't thinking about how Rose had made all of them, and she _wasn't _thinking about that Doctor…even though she could hear the engines, but that must have been her mind acting up.

She froze when she realized that the sound was very real. "Rose!"

* * *

Jackie had never run faster in her life. She exited the block flats when Mickey joined her. They had made a plan to meet when they heard the TARDIS, but the plan had gone out the window due to Jackie's joy.

"Mickey!" She shouted out as she ran towards him.

"Jackie, it's the TARDIS!" Mickey yelled, still in shock.

They had realized that the Doctor probably wouldn't come back if Rose was dead-he'd have no reason to-but when three weeks had passed, Mickey had started to worry that there worse fear had happened, Rose was dead.

"I know! I know, I heard it! She's alive, Mickey! I said so, didn't I? She's alive!" Jackie cried out. As Rose's mother, she had never given up hope that her daughter was alive.

Mickey would have rolled his eyes but instead he barked out, "Shush! Shut up a minute!" Causing Jackie to look around frantically for the police box.

"Well, where is it then?" She finally asked, growing frustrated. As if to answer her, the TARDIS appeared 20 feet above their heads, and then started to crash into buildings as it plummeted. Jackie screamed at the sight and grabbed onto Mickey as they watched the TARDIS skid to a halt aided by a post van, and some dustbins. The doors were thrown open by a man in a leather jacket, burgundy jumper, and black pants. His mouth was open wide and he had brown slightly spikey hair and sideburns.

"Here we are, then! London! Earth! The Solar System! We did it!" He exclaimed, stumbling out of the TARDIS. Looking around, he suddenly noticed Mickey and Jackie staring at him. "Jackie! Mickey! Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on." He stumbled backwards a few steps, almost tripping over the knocked over dustbins. "Wait there, I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you. Something important, what was it? No, hold on, hold on..." He lurched towards the two, placing one hand on each of their shoulders, thinking hard. "Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush... OH!" At the sudden volume of his voice, Jackie and Mickey jumped, trading glances as they did so.

"I know!" the man cheered, looking at the two, beaming despite his heavy panting, "Merry Christmas!" The man grinned one more time and the collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Kayla had been trying to keep an eye on the Doctor, but when she hadn't been watching him, he stumbled out of the TARDIS like a drunk man. Rose had backed herself against the wall, taking slow breaths.

"Rose?" Kayla called to her after a few minutes with the Doctor being gone.

"Wh-what?" the blond asked.

"The Doctor just collapsed." Kayla told her before she dashed off and stepped outside.

* * *

Mickey and Jackie were staring at the man when Kayla stepped out.

"What happened? Is he all right?" Kayla asked quickly, kneeling beside him.

"I don't know, he just keeled over! But who is he? Where's the Doctor?" Mickey answered, staring down at the man and Kayla.

"He's the Doctor…just with a face change." Kayla rubbed the Doctor's back as she spoke.

"What d'you mean? Doctor who?" Jackie question.

Rose stepped out of the TARDIS and stared down at the Doctor, who was lying on the ground looking like he was dead.

* * *

Moving the Doctor had been hard, but the worse part was changing him into "jimjams" because Jackie had thought he would be comfortable and Rose was too quick to agree. So instead of the old Doctor's cloths, the Doctor was now wearing blue and white striped jimjams. Kayla sat on the edge of the Doctor's bed, her hand holding his while Rose sat in a chair she had drawn to his bed. The door opened and Jackie walked in with a stethoscope.

"Here we go. Tina the Cleaner's got this lodger, medical student. And she was fast asleep, so I just took it." Jackie hand the stethoscope to Kayla as she spoke.

"Thanks." Kayla muttered as she put it in her ears.

"Though, I still say we should take him to hospital." Jackie pressed.

"We can't. They'd lock him up. They'd dissect him. One bottle of his blood could change the future of the human race." Rose answered back.

"That's great, now both of you shush or leave the room." Kayla commanded as she leaned over to listen to the Doctor's hearts. "Good, they're both working." She muttered after a few seconds?

"What d'you mean 'both?'" Jackie asked, glancing in between her daughter and the ex-Time Agent.

"He has too hearts Jackie." Kayla said softly, standing up as she spoke.

Jackie blinked, "Oh." Getting up she turned to look at her daughter and asked, "Anything else he's got two of?"

"Leave him alone." Rose sighed, standing up and following her mother and Kayla out of the room.

* * *

The room was empty, that the Doctor knew. Despite being in a coma like state, he could hear the whole flat and the people in it. With a gusty sigh, a wisp of golden Time Vortex left him and out of an open into. It flew into the sky, a whispering voice repeating, "You will pay for your chances. These are ours."

* * *

In the kitchen, Rose opened the fridge and pulled out two pork pies, handing one to Kayla.

"How can he go changing his face?" Jackie asked, earning no answer from Rose, who shut the fridge door, or Kayla, who had started to eat the pie. "Is that a different face or is he a different person?" she continued.

"Both." Kayla muttered, still eating. Glancing up at the pause in conversation, she noticed the stares she was receiving from both blonds. "What?" She asked.

"Who is he?" Rose asked simply, gesturing towards the Doctor's closed door.

"Rose, I'm not an expert, but what I do know about regeneration is basically the same information the Doctor told you. He still has the same memories, but he's a different person physically and slightly mentally." At the end of Kayla's explanation, Rose and Jackie were both staring at her in wonder, causing her to sigh in frustration. "I'm gonna go for walk."

Kayla walked through the crowded streets of London when she paused, hearing a familiar name voiced on a telly in a shop window.

"Harriet Jones - what about those calling the Guinevere One Space Probe a waste of money?" A man asked a woman with brown hair.

"Now, that's where you're wrong. I completely disagree if you don't mind. The Guinevere One Space Probe represents this country's limitless ambition. British workmanship sailing up there among the stars." The video changed to a man smiling broadly at the camera as he spoke.

"This is the spirit of Christmas, birth and rejoicing, and the dawn of a new age, and that is what we're achieving fifteen million miles away. Our very own miracle."

The video changed to the newsreader who stared at the camera. "The unmanned probe Guinevere One is about to make its final descent. Photographs of the Martian Landscape should be received by midnight tonight."

* * *

The probe stopped in front of what appeared to be a very large rock. A door opened on the "rock," and the probe was sucked in.

* * *

Kayla had returned back to the flat and had taken up a silent vigil next to the Doctor, staring at him as he slept.

* * *

Rose and Mickey walked the streets of London at night, trying to make their way through the mass of late Christmas shoppers.

"So, er, what d'you need? Twenty quid?" Mickey held out the said bill in his hand.

"Do you mind? I'll pay you back." Rose questioned as she took the bill.

"Call it a Christmas present." Mickey joked, laughing by himself.

"God, I'm all out of synch. You just forget about Christmas and things in the TARDIS. They don't exist. You get sort of...timeless." Rose said, cutting off Mickey's laughter.

"Oh, yeah, that's fascinating, 'cos I love hearing stories about the TARDIS. Oh, go on Rose, tell us another one 'cos I - wow, I could listen to it all day. TARDIS this, TARDIS that..."

Rose smiled at Mickey. "Shut up!" She joked along.

"Oh! One time, in a biiiig yellow garden, full of balloons." Mickey continued.

"I'm not like that!" Rose protested, smiling as she did.

"Oh, you so are." Mickey smiled fondly at the banter between the two of them. He had missed Rose, missed her smile and the way they bantered before that Doctor came. Sure, he knew that they would never be the same, but that didn't stop him from trying or wanting that.

"Hmm, must drive you mad. I'm surprised you don't give up on me." Rose said suddenly, all banter gone.

"Oh, that's the thing, isn't it? You can rely on me. I don't go changing my face." Mickey said, trying to bring their previous banter back.

"Yeah. What if he's dying?" Mickey stopped suddenly at Rose's words.

"Okay—" He started.

"Sorry!" She apologized quickly.

Mickey sighed mentally and took Rose's heads. "Just let it be Christmas! Could you do that? Just for a bit. You and me, and Christmas. No...no Doctor - no...no bog-monsters...no life or death."

"Okay." Rose agreed, offering Mickey a soft smile.

"Promise?" Mickey pressed, also starting to smile.

"Yes!" Rose said, both of them smiling at each other.

"Right! What're you gonna get for your mum?" Mickey asked suddenly as they started to walk again, but the attention they had been giving each other was gone and Rose kept glancing behind them. "I'm round there all the time now, you know. She does my dinner on a Sunday...talks about you all afternoon, yap yap yap yap yap..."

Rose wasn't listening to Mickey but instead she kept looking at the brass band of masked Santas playing 'Good Tidings of Comfort and Joy.' They felt…wrong, and she was right, because only a few seconds later did they stop playing and pointed their trumpets like guns at the shoppers, revealing them to be flame throwers…which shot at the crowd. Horrified, the shoppers screamed and ran about, some getting hit and some not. Either way, Mickey reacted well and pushed Rose to a stall, throwing both of their bodies behind it.

"It's us! They're after us!" Rose yelled over the screams. As if they heard Rose, a Santa blasted the stall Mickey and Rose were hiding behind, forcing them to flee with the Santas coming after them. As they blasted behind them, a Santa got hit by a giant Christmas tree, sending it's mask flying.

"What's going on? What've we done? Why are they after us?" Mickey cried out frantically.

Rose opened her mouth to reply when a taxi pulled up to the curb. "Taxi!" She called to him, making them clamber in.

* * *

Kayla stared at the Doctor intently, worried about him.

"I miss you Doctor." She whispered softly, rubbing his hand with hers.

* * *

"They're after the Doctor." Rose stated once they were in the taxi.

"I can't even go shopping with you. We get attacked by a brass band." Mickey complained as the taxi drove off.

Rose didn't listen to his complaint, instead she took out her mobile and started to tap in a number.

"Who're you phoning?" Mickey asked.

"My mum." Rose said sourly as she put the phone to her ear.

* * *

"She turns up - no warning. I've got nothing in. I said, "'Rose - if you want a Christmas dinner of meat paste, then so be it'" Jackie talked as she walked around the flat, the phone to her ear. While listening to the reply, she picked up a cup of tea.

* * *

"Mum, get off the phone!" Rose hissed in the taxi. Police sirens had started to wail behind them.

"Who were... those Santa things?" Mickey asked softly.

"I dunno. But think about it - they were after us. What's important about us? Well, nothing. Except the one thing we've got tucked up in bed. The Doctor."

* * *

Jackie walked into the Doctor's room, holding a cup of tea for Kayla which she handed to the brunet, talking into the phone as she did. "Oh, no. Don't come round, darling. No, flat's all topsy turvy. Yeah, she just barges in and litters the place. Yeah, no - I'll come round and see you on boxing day."

When Jackie left the room, Kayla sighed and placed the mug of tea on a bedside table and leaned against a pillow next to the Doctor, curling up against him. "Get well soon Doctor." She whispered in his ear before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

The Doctor had felt Kayla curl up against him, had heard her plea of wellness in his ear, and had felt her fall asleep next to him. Besides her, there was no one in the room, it was time again. He sighed softly, careful not to wake the woman beside him. Vortex energy seeped from his mouth, once again escaping from out of the window. He settled back down, only for Kayla to throw one arm over him, drawing her sleeping form closer to his. Without meaning to, he pulled her slightly closer.

* * *

The taxi pulled up at the Powell Estate, causing Mickey and Rose to get out and run to the flat.

* * *

"So, save us a chipolata..." Jackie was saying when Rose and Mickey dashed in.

"Get off the phone!" Rose screeched.

"It's only Bev! She says hello." Jackie protested, not understanding why her daughter would come in such a manner.

Rose snatched the phone away from her mother and talked into it quickly, "Bev? Yeah- look, it'll have to wait." With that, she hung up on Bev and stared at Mickey and her mother.

"Right, it's not safe, we've gotta get out - where can we go?" Rose asked them quickly.

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up." Mickey offered.

"That's only two streets away." Rose down voted and then turned to her mother. "What about Mo? Where's she living now?" She questioned, speaking about their cousin who often moved.

"I dunno! Peak District!" Jackie guessed, flinging out the last home she had heard about.

"It's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about?" Jackie protested, completely clueless.

"Mum…" Rose started to explain when she saw a large green Christmas tree in the corner, replacing the white one. "Where'd you get that tree?" Jackie glanced over at it. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?" Rose pressed, growing worried.

"Well, I thought it was you!" Jackie answered, very confused now. First Mickey and Rose banging in, talking about leaving, and now getting upset over a tree that, up until now, Jackie had thought was sent from Rose…she really needed to help her daughter.

"How can it be me?" Rose asked suddenly.

"Well, you went shopping, there was a ring at the door, and there it was!" Jackie explained, giving a perfectly good reason.

Rose shook her head while she answered, "No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it...?" Jackie wondered, voicing the question that they all had in their head. As if she sensed something wrong, Rose pulled her mother behind her.

Nearby, the door to the Doctor's room opened and a slightly sleepy Kayla stepped out just to see the Christmas tree light up. "That isn't good." She muttered just as Rose stepped back some.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." The younger blond complained.

But the faith wasn't, and instead the tree started to spin, picking up speed each turn. Jackie let out an earsplitting scream as the tree started to move, reducing the wooden coffee table to splinters within seconds.

"In here now!" Kayla yelled, opening up the Doctor's room. Instantly, Jackie raced in with Rose hot on her tail. "Where's Mickey?" She asked the younger blond, who pointed near the tree where the man in question was holding a chair, pointing its legs towards the tree.

"Mickey, what are you doing?" Kayla barked out to him.

"Go, go, go! Get out!" Mickey yelled back to her, standing his ground.

"Mickey! Get out of there!" Jackie cried, leaving the safety of the room to join Kayla in getting Mickey to safety. With the tree seconds to killing the chair, he gave up and ran into the room with Kayla, Jackie glaring at the two.

"Just leave him!" Jackie whined, her gaze switching from the room to the tree – which was growing closer and closer to a large pane of glass.

"Get in here!" Kayla yelled, causing Jackie to snap her mouth shut and race into the Doctor's room, slamming the door to the sound of the glass pane getting killed.

Once they were all in, Mickey and Jackie started to move a wardrobe onto the door and then leaned on it, watching as Kayla whirled around the room, taking the sonic screwdriver out of the Doctor's leather pocket and placing it in his lifeless hand, ignoring the shaking wardrobe and Rose's glare as she joined her mother and Mickey, but it was too little too late and the door was shredded, throwing the three back and into a corner.

"I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!" Jackie squeaked out in terror, watching the spinning death machine.

Growing desperate, Kayla leaned onto the bed, holding the Doctor's hand and breathed into his ear, "Help me." A second passed, and nothing happened, making Kayla draw back slightly…and then the Doctor sat straight up and pointed his screwdriver at the tree, causing it to explode. Pleased, the Doctor lowered his sonic, a small smirk on his face.

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" He wondered, starting to get up as she spoke.

* * *

The Doctor walked out onto the balcony, securing his dressing gown around him. Kayla walked next to him leaving Rose, Mickey, and Jackie to follow. Outside, staring up at the balcony, stood three of the Santas.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey stated, glancing at Rose who gave him a sharp shush, pointing towards the Doctor.

"Doctor, hand me your sonic." Kayla commanded, causing the Time Lord to shrug and hand her the object which she pointed threateningly at the Santas. At the glowering Time Lord beside her and the sonic screwdriver pointed threateningly at them, the Santas did the smart thing and walked backwards and stood closer to each other before teleporting away.

"They've just gone! What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offence, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver and a glare's gonna scare them off." Mickey pointed out.

"Pilot Fish." The Doctor muttered, staring at the spot where the Santas had disappeared.

"What" Rose asked, causing them all to stare at the Doctor.

"They were just Pilot Fish, noting special." Kayla elaborated. Before anyone could comment, the Doctor coughed and threw himself backwards into the wall, clearly in pain. They all knelt beside him, Kayla grabbing one of his hands with Rose clinging to the other.

"What's wrong?!" Rose asked quickly.

"We woke him up to soon." Kayla breathed, earning a weak nod from the Doctor.

"I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." The vortex flew out of his mouth.

"You see? The Pilot Fish could smell it. A million miles away. So they eliminate the defence - that's you lot - and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of year—" He lurched forwards, groaning pain.

"Doctor, stop talking." Kayla ordered.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jackie cried out.

"My head!" the Doctor gritted his teeth together as he spoke. Jackie and Kayla glanced at each other and both held the Doctor up, supporting his weight as he groaned weekly in pain.

"I'm having a neuron implosion. I need—" the Doctor started, speaking quickly.

"What do you need?" Jackie asked frantically.

"I need—" the Doctor tried again.

"Say it, tell me, tell me—"

"I need—"

"Painkillers?"

"I need—"

"Do you need aspirin?"

"Well he doesn't need that." Kayla muttered, holding back a laugh at Jackie's rapid questions.

"I—"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I dunno- Pepto-Bismol?"

"I need—"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need—"

"Is it food? Something simple? Uh- a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?" Jackie's voice rose hysterically as she spoke, making the three watching bite their lips to hold back their laughter.

"I need you to shut up." The Doctor finally managed to end a full sentence, causing Jackie to stare at the three.

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Kayla chuckled slightly, only to stop when the Doctor lurched forwards again, his panting and groans overriding Jackie's 'oo' of sympathy.

"We haven't got much time. If there's Pilot Fish, then—" He moved one of his hands from his pocket and stared at an apple. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard, sorry." Jackie answered promptly.

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?" the Doctor wondered, staring at her.

"He gets hungry." Kayla turned to look at her.

"He gets hungry in his sleep, really?

"Sometimes." The Doctor stared at the apple curiously for a second only to stop and shout in pain, sinking to the floor with a grimace.

"Brain- collapsing—" the Doctor stuttered out, grabbing Kayla's arms tightly before he spoke. "P- the Pilot Fish. The Pilot Fish mean... that something- something—" the Doctor paused, managing some deep breaths. "Something's coming." He breathed out, and then he collapsed into Kayla's lap, his breathing labored.

* * *

Kayla knelt down next to the now restless and sweaty Doctor that was tucked into bed, his head being mopped to try and bring down his fever. Rose watched for a second and then left, it was just too painful to watch.

* * *

Mickey sat down and turned on his laptop. "Jackie, I'm using the phone line. Is that all right?"

Jackie glanced over at him. "Yeah. Keep a count of it." She walked over and put one of the two cups of tea she held in front of him.

"It's midnight, Christmas day." Rose muttered, sitting on a chair arm.

"Any change?" Jackie wondered, handing her daughter the other cup of tea before going back to the kitchen to get one for Kayla.

"He's worse. Just one heart beating." Jackie nodded and left the room for a brief second and then sat down on a chair while Rose turned on the TV.

"Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe. They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes." A reported announced.

"Yes, we are. We're - we're back on schedule. We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success." Llewellyn rushed to say.

"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?" A reported at the live press conference asked.

"Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it - it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She's fine now, absolutely fine. We - we're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks." Llewellyn hurriedly got up and left the conference, not at all the same state of joy he was in earlier.

"Here we go, Pilot Fish." Mickey muttered, staring at his laptop. Rose got up and looked at his screen. "Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless - they're tiny, but the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish." He started to explain, a video of small fish appearing on his screen.

"Do you mean like sharks?" Rose cut in.

"Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them... now we get that." A large shark snapped its jaws viciously.

"Something is coming..." the TV went slightly static, going unnoticed by Mickey and Rose. "How close?" She wondered.

"There's no way of telling, but the Pilot Fish don't swim far from their daddy." Mickey answered back, both not seeing the distorted image on the TV screen.

"So, it's close?" Rose pointed out, getting a tense nod from Mickey.

"Funny sort of rocks." Jackie said suddenly, watching the TV screen which was getting more and more static.

At the sound of Jackie speaking, Rose also looked at the TV, "That's not rocks..." She stated, starting to edge closer with Mickey trailing behind, the image on the screen getting clearer and clearer.

"... coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning." A reporter said on the TV just as the image appeared perfectly as an alien that roared viciously at Jackie, Mickey, and Rose, causing them to gasp and jump back.

* * *

Kayla sighed, sipping on some of Jackie's tea as she watched the Doctor shiver in his sleep. Biting back a yawn, Kayla crawled onto the bed and curled up next to her Doctor, almost instantly falling asleep.

* * *

"The face of an alien life form was transmitted live tonight on BBC1." A BBC News Reader stated.

"On the 25th of December, the human race has been shown absolute proof that alien life exists." An American Reader reported.

"These remarkable images have been relayed right across the world." A News Reader said.

* * *

Three cars drove through the gates of the famed Tower of London, drawing up outside of it. One of the drivers got out and opened the door for Llewellyn as Major Blake came out of the doors of the tower to greet him.

"This way, sir." He said, indicating for him to step through the doors, leaving Llewellyn with no choice but to do as the Major said.

The door that led into UNIT Base opened for Llyewellyn and the two flanking him. Ignoring the chaos inside, Major Blake just pointed to the current Prime Minister. "Mr Llewellyn." With a slightly heavy heart, Llewellyn headed towards_ the _Harriet Jones.

"Mr Llewellyn, ma'am." He said upon arrival.

"Harriet Jones. Prime Minister." Harriet said, holding up her idea card.

"Oh, well, yes. I know who you are. I suppose I've ruined your Christmas." Llewellyn sighed.

"Never off duty. Now, we've put out a cover story. Alex has been handling it." A young man with a Bluetooth in his ear stepped forwards.

"We've said it was a hoax. Some sort of mask or prosthetics." Llewellyn nodded. "Students hi-jacking the signal, that sort of thing." Alex continued.

"Alex is my right-hand man. I'm not used to having a right-hand man. I quite like it, though." Harriet said.

"Quite like it myself." Alex grinned at the Prime Minister fondly, his grin echoed on her face.

"I - I don't suppose there's any chance it was a hoax?" Llewellyn asked, instantly feeling sory that he had interrupted the moment between the two.

"That would be nice. Then we could all go home. I don't suppose anyone's offered you a coffee...?" Harriet trailed off, waiting for the man's answer.

"No." He answered.

Harriet went over to a coffee maker and started to pour some, speaking as she did so, "But, no - the transmission was genuine. And this seems to be a new species of alien." She handed him his coffee, "At least, not one we've encountered before."

"You seem to be talking about aliens as a matter of fact." Llewellyn pointed out, still shocked that the transmission wasn't, in fact, a hoax.

"There's an act of parliament banning my autobiography." Harriet stated, answering Llewellyn's question.

"Prime Minister?" Blake asked, joining the three.

"I'm with you." Harriet said, following the Major deeper into the busy room.

"Miss Jacobs can explain." A blond woman at her computer stood up quickly at her name.

"I don't think we've been introduced. Harriet Jones, Prime Minister." Jacobs blinked at the introduction.

"Yes, I - I know who you are. The transmission didn't come from the surface of Mars. Guinevere One was broadcasting from a point 5 thousand miles above the planet." She explained.

"In other words, they've got a ship and the probe is on board." Blake elaborated.

"But if they're not from the surface, then... they might not be from Mars itself. Maybe they're not actual Martians." Llewellyn said hopefully.

"Of course not, Martians look completely different." Major Blake dismissed and then turned his attention away from Llewellyn, leaving the man speechless. "We think the ship was in flight when they just came across the probe." Blake continued, his back to the gaping Llewellyn.

"And they're moving. The ship's still in flight now. We've got it on the Hubble array." Jacobs added in, turning back to her computer to pull a live image of the spaceship moving towards them at a rapid speed.

"Moving in which direction?" Harriet asked, watching the screen.

"Towards us." She replied.

"How fast?" Harriet stepped forwards as she spoke, still staring at the screen.

Jacobs watched the screen along with the Prime Minister as she answered, "Very fast."

The large screen on the wall continued to show the spaceship getting closer and closer to them.

"What was your name, again?" Harriet Jones asked, her intense gaze not leaving the screen as she spoke.

"Sally." Sally Jacobs, growing nervous by the weariness that hid underneath the Prime Minister tone.

Inwardly, Harriet was panicking, yet when she spoke she covered that panic with the fatigue she had been feeling lately. "Thank you, Sally."

Sally nodded, a motion not seen by the pervious speaker who was too busy watching the screen.

* * *

Rose sat on the couch, trying to ignore the sleeping Kayla next to her, which was proving to be a more than a challenge than she wanted at the moment. Every five minutes she would shift, her legs going onto the blond's lap or her feet would just graze Rose's legs, or she would curl up into a ball.

"Rose." Mickey said suddenly, causing the blond to get up quickly from the couch and perch on the edge of his chair, looking at his screen. "Take a look, I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way." Rose did what he asked and saw, without her knowledge, the same live image that was being shown at UNIT.

"Well, I don't know about you, but that looks pretty bad." Kayla said, suddenly standing next to the two. At her voice, Mickey flinched and Rose let out a small shout.

"I thought you were asleep." Rose said accusingly.

Kayla shrugged before answering, "I was, and then I woke up."

Rose sighed softly and then turned her attention back to the computer screen. "Coming for what, though? The Doctor?" She asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us." As if his words were a cue, four aliens appeared on screen, speaking in language that could only be described as alien.

"Have you seen them before?" At his question, Kayla and Rose both shook their heads.

"I don't even understand their language." Kayla muttered, her brow ceasing as she stared at the screen.

"But we should." Rose pressed, making Kayla shrug, utterly at lost for what's going on.

* * *

At UNIT, the same video was playing.

"Translation software." Major Blake commanded.

"Yes, sir." Alex said, leaving as the aliens speak more passionately as they were before.

* * *

"The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am." Rose explained to Mickey while Kayla made tea in the kitchen.

"So, why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey asked.

"I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's...he's broken." The blond theorized, her voice sounding lost and upset.

"The TARDIS is bonded to the Doctor, and now the Doctor is deathly ill, so the TARDIS is too." Kayla agreed, merely elaborating what Rose had said. As she passed out the tea, she continued. "The Doctor needs something, but what?" Kayla took a sip of her tea once she was done speaking.

* * *

The Doctor breathed heavily in his sleep, hearing Kayla speaking about him in the other room.

* * *

Harriet Jones went up to Major Blake, knowing that he was just as worried as she was despite his seemingly calm composer. "I'm getting demands from Washington, ma'am. The President's insisting that he take control of the situation."

"You can tell the President - and please use these exact words - he's not my boss, and he's certainly not turning this into a war." Harriet replied stonily.

The Prime Minister had already met the President when an alien ship appeared in the sky over Britain and America. While Harriet had wanted to kill the aliens, the President just wanted them gone. In the end, Torchwood had taken care of the threat, but since then, the Prime Minister had been wary to let thatman near any alien threat.

Seeing that Alex was waiting for her, Harriet walked over to him. "What've we got?"

"Nothing yet. Translating an alien language is going to take time." Alex answered, hiding his worry.

"How far off is the ship?" Blake asked, announcing his sudden arrival.

"About 5 hours." The boy answered promptly, but no reply came. For the two others were now staring at the screen, wondering what the faith of the world would be in five hours. Oh, what a happy Christmas.

* * *

"Despite claims of an alien hoax, it's been reported that NATO forces are on red alert." An American News Reader reported to Jackie Tyler, who was sitting in the Doctor's bedroom, holding his head.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart. What do you need? What is it you need, tell me..." Unusually for Jackie, her voice was soft and gentle.

"Speaking strictly off the record, government sources are calling this our longest night." The newsreader continued.

* * *

Major Blake sat in a chair, deep in thought. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Harriet Jones come up to him. He stood up wearily, automatically clasping his hands behind his back as he waited for the Prime Minister to speak.

"I don't suppose we've had a Code 9? No sign of the Doctor?"

"Nothing yet." Blake told her, watching as her eyes closed in disappointment. "You've met him, haven't you?" Harriet nodded softly. "More like the stuff of legend."

The Doctor was a legend in UNIT, a story passed down from the older officers that had been there for years, some claiming to work with the recently retired Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. He was old, and powerful. An alien that could kill the whole Earth if he wanted to, and Major Blake never forgot that.

"He is that. Failing him..." Harriet sighed and dreaded the next words out of her mouth. "What about Torchwood?"

Major Blake stared at the Prime Minister, shocked. "I—" He started, unsure of what to say.

"I know I'm not supposed to know about it, I realize that. Not even the United Nations knows. But if ever there was a need for Torchwood, it's now." Harriet rushed.

"I can't take responsibility." He tried.

"I can. See to it. Get them ready." At the sudden commanding tone in her voice, Major Blake nodded and left, ready to contact an organization that the Doctor would hate, that Major Blake hated.

"Prime Minister..." Alex said softly, announcing his approach.

"Has it worked?" Harriet asked, motioning to the laptop he carried.

"Just about." Alex reported, placing the laptop onto a desk to show her. Llewellyn and Jacobs joined them. "'People...' that could be cattle...'you belong to us. To the Sycorax'- they seem to be called Sycorax, not Martians. 'We own you. We now possess your land, your minerals, your precious stones. You will surrender or they will die. Sycorax strong, Sycorax mighty, Sycorax rock'- as in the modern sense, they rock."

"'They will die?' Not 'you will die,' 'they will die?' Who's they?" Llewellyn asked, staring at the words on screen.

"I don't know, but it is the right personal pronoun, it's they." Alex told him, checking to make sure as he spoke.

Harriet listened to the two and then sighed before she commanded what she dreaded. "Send them our reply. Tell them...'this is a day of peace on planet Earth.' Tell them...'we extend that peace to the Sycorax.'" She started her voice slightly weak as Alex took notes. "And then tell them...'this planet is armed and we do not surrender.'" Jacobs nodded her approval at the statement, and then three left the Prime Minister.

"Come on." She whispered to Llewellyn, who seemed stunned when he realized just how close the aliens were.

* * *

Kayla had joined Jackie in sitting next to the Doctor, and that had somehow ended up with Kayla curled up next to him on his bed and Jackie's head resting on a pillow she had put next to him. All three were sleeping and also being watched by Rose and Mickey in the doorway.

"The Doctor wouldn't do this. The old Doctor. The proper Doctor. He'd wake up. He'd save us." Rose said to Mickey softly, her voice shaking with suppressed tears.

"You really love him, don't you?" Mickey sighed.

At this, Rose paused for a second. "I-I thought I did," She glanced at Kayla, who was curled into the Doctor, "but he loves someone else." As she felt her heart break over the Doctor, Rose wrapped her arms around Mickey, holding back her tears for another time.

* * *

As the sun rose, UNIT was still hard at work.

"They got the message. Here comes the response." Jacobs reported, causing them all to look up at the screen to see the same group of Sycorax as before. The leader held out his hand, and around it a blue light appeared.

"What was that? Was that a reply?" Harriet asked quickly, staring at the screen.

"I don't know. Looked like some sort of energy, or...static?" Alex guessed.

"Almost like someone casting a spell." At Llewellyn's words, the blue light surrounded Jacobs and a few others head, but no one noticed. "Maybe it's a different form of language, some sort of ideogram or pictogram." At this, the members of UNIT effected by the blue light all turned on their heels and began to march from the room stiffly.

"What the hell? It's the light! It's the same light! Sally? What're you doing? Sally?" Llewellyn cried out when he saw the blond walked away. He tried to grab her, but she paid him no heed, continuing in her stiff walk.

"Oh, leave her! You'll hurt her!" Harriet commanded, as the security guards raised their guns, prepared to fire at the people.

"Let them pass!" Major Blake commanded sternly, making the guards drop their guns.

"Where are they going?" Llewellyn asked, voicing the question that was on everyone's mind.

* * *

Rose and Mickey were sitting silently as they thought about their Christmas so far, when a familiar female voice reached their ears.

"What is wrong with you? Jason? Jason?" Rose jumped up with Mickey behind her.

"Sandra?" Rose called once the door was open, stepping out to face the short brunette.

"He won't listen! He's just walking, he won't stop walking!" Sandra cried to Rose, her voice slightly hysteric. "There's this sort of... light, thing. Jason? Stop it!" Rose started to follow Sandra and after some hesitation, Mickey followed the other two. "Right now!" Sandra added. On a whim, Rose and Mickey leaned over the edge only to see dozens of people just like Jason, all walking stiffly.

* * *

Harriet Jones and the others at UNIT walk with the hypnotized people, watching them as they did so.

"They're all heading in the same direction." Harriet noted.

"It's only certain people. Why isn't it affecting us?" Llewellyn pointed out worriedly.

"Prime Minister? It's happening all over the country." Alex called over to her.

* * *

Crowds of people headed down a normal English street.

"Anna, come on, now stop this. It's not funny anymore. Come on, Anna. Come back inside the house. Katherine...Katherine, now listen to me - you come back inside now." A woman cried, trying to stop her two daughters, but they just kept on walking. "And you, Jonathan - you come back in with mummy. Jonathan, come on back in with mummy! You're scaring me now! Come on!" the woman cried out, trying to stop her son. Close to tears, she turned to her husband. "Alan, help me out here! Please!"

All around the family, others that were affected by the lights walked stiffly with the unaffected people just as hysteric as the woman was.

"As far as I can tell, they're heading for any sort of high-rise building. Anything with stairs... anything with steps..." A policeman reported into his walkie-talkie, watching as the hypnotized people walked up the stairs on the side of a building.

* * *

Llewellyn spoke urgently to Blake after several minutes of walking up stairs. "They've gone all the way up. They've gone into the roof." Blake nodded, deep in thought as they stood to the sides of the stairwell.

The crowd of hypnotized people continued their stiff way up the flight of stairs.

"Just making my way to the front of the building now. There's hundreds of them." The policeman raised his head to look up and gasped at the sight. "Oh, God. They've gone right to the edge. They're gonna jump. They're all gonna jump!"

* * *

After hearing the report from the hysteric policeman, Llewellyn raced up the stairs, his heart beating wildly in protest as only one thought ran through his mind, he had to save her, he had to save Sally Jacobs. "Sally, stop it." Llewellyn called to her, finally catching up and then walking backwards in front of her despite being on a rooftop. "It's Danny Llewellyn. Daniel Llewellyn. Sally, just concentrate. Listen to me - you're being controlled. We need you!" Sally continued on, unable to hear or respond to her. "Stop it, Sally!" Llewellyn cried out.

* * *

At the Powell Estate, Sandra was still trying to stop Jason as they stood on the rooftop. "Jason, I'm talking to you! Just stop!" She cried out as she saw him walk until he stood right on the edge. Around them, others who were hypnotized stood on the edge of the roof while their loved ones pleaded with them, terrified to pull them too much and have them fall. Instead, they could only watch in horror as they just stood there, not moving.

* * *

"It's not just the whole country. It's the whole world." Alex stated, horrified.

* * *

People stood on the edge of high-rise buildings all over the world, not twitching or blinking, just standing right on the edge.

* * *

"They've stopped. They've all stopped. They're just...standing there. Right on the edge." The hysterical policeman said into his walkie-talkie.

* * *

"According to reports, it's like a third. One third of the world's population. That's two billion people ready to jump." Alex told Harriet Jones as they both sat at his laptop.

* * *

"'Surrender or they will die...'" Llewellyn said to Major Blake, his eyes growing wide as he repeated the sentence.

* * *

"What do we do?" Mickey asked Rose, staring around at the frantic and stiff people on the roof.

Rose answered in a dead voice. "Nothing. There's no-one to save us. Not anymore."

* * *

**WELCOME TO DANCING WITH THE DOCTOR!**

**Yeah, so ending with a happy note and all. **

**Also, thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites, and followers of Dark Beauty-Sweet Evil. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**A word regarding the second part...it's over 9 thousand words, sorry, so get ready for your eyes to hurt. **

**Review answering time (from the last chapter):**

**TeamTHEFT: Thanks!**

**grapejuice101: Thanks!**

**helenamaimi: Here it is! **


	2. The Christmas Invasion Pt 2

Llewellyn and Blake came back into the UNIT base in time to hear Alex start to speak to the Prime Minister, both looking at his laptop. "Wait a minute - there is a pattern. All these people tend to be father and son, mother and daughter. Brothers and sisters - family groups, but not husbands and wives." Llewellyn, having heard everything that Alex said, froze, staring at his computer.

"Oh, my God." At this, the three looked over at him. "It's Guinevere One. Have you got medical records on file for all your staff?"

"Course we have, yes." Alex nearly scoffed, biting his tongue as the group shuffled.

"What about Torchwood?" Harriet asked softly to Major Blake when they had been shuffled to the same side.

"Still working on it. Bear in mind, they have just lost a third of their staff." Blake answered just as softly.

"But do they have what we need?" She pressed, her voice growing a little bit more firm.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, tell them to hurry up." Blake nodded at this, and then put his attention to Llewellyn. After a few seconds, Harriet did the same.

"Here it is. Sally Jacobs...blood group A Positive. Who else walked out?" Llewellyn asked, his eyes taking in the medical information that he had pulled up.

"Luke Parsons." Alex said after thinking.

The medical information changed on the screen to a male's with Luke's name on it. "Luke Parsons...A Positive."

"Jeffery Baxter."

"Baxter...A Positive. That's it. They're all A Positive." Llewellyn stated once the page had switched again.

"How many people in the world are A Positive?" Major Blake wondered, staring at the screen intently.

"No idea. But I bet it's one third."

"What's so special about that blood group?" Blake asked, ignoring the urge to rub his forehead.

"Nothing, but...it's my fault. Guinevere One...it's got one of those plaques identifying the human race. Er...a message to the stars. I mean, you don't expect anything to come of it, but...I put on maps and music and samples. There's wheat seeds, and water, and...and blood. A Positive. The Sycorax have got a vial of A Positive. And well, I don't know how, but...through that..." Llewellyn stuttered out, sounding more and more confused as he tried to explain what had happened.

"They control the blood." Harriet summed up.

"Oh, my God." Llewellyn mumbled, feeling shame course through him.

"There's only one more thing I can try. Major, with me." Harriet stated, walking proudly out of the room with Major Blake behind her, the latter wondering what she meant.

* * *

"Jack? Jack!" Suzie cried through the Hub, walking through it to look for her new boss.

"Have you found him yet?" Owen yelled.

"No!" Suzie called back.

"Well keep looking!" Owen retorted, standing next to Tosh at a workstation.

"Looking for what?" A distinct American male voice asked. Tosh screamed, and Owen started, knocking coffee onto the ground. From deep in the Hub, Suzie started to run towards the others. "Really? Did we lose something again?" At this, the man chuckled.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?" Suzie snapped, stomping down the stairs. "There are people lining the roofs of the world, all about to jump, and you've disappeared." Captain Jack Harkness lost the amusement that was ghosted in his face from his pervious chuckle.

"I was out." He answered shortly, a dark look starting to grow on his face.

Oh yes, he had seen the people, but not those in Cardiff. Instead, he had driven to London, looking for a blue police box, the TARDIS, and more importantly, his daughter. But as always, he hadn't seen any sign of her.

"What do we do, Jack?" Tosh asked softly, her voice alone pulling him out of his thoughts.

"We do what the rest of the world does, watch telly." Jack smiled at the team, the old mask settling in to hide his true emotions. Automatically expecting them to follow, Jack headed off to the board room to watch telly.

* * *

Harriet Jones sat at her desk, starting an emergency broadcasted speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen...if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech, I'm afraid that's been cancelled." She turned her head to address someone slightly off camera. "Did we ask about the royal family?" After a brief pause, a slight flicker of emotion flashed across her face. "Oh. They're on the roof. But - Ladies and gentlemen - this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse."

* * *

Jackie, Rose, Mickey, and the slightly sleepy Kayla stood watching the TV.

"I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request: Doctor. If you're out there...we need you." At this, Rose felt tears slide down her face and Kayla made an odd whimpering noise. "I don't know what to do. But if you can hear me, Doctor..." Rose turned away from the screen.

* * *

Jack was sitting forwards in his chair, his attention never wavering from the Prime Minister.

"If anyone knows the Doctor, if anyone can find him...the situation has never been more desperate."

* * *

Rose walked to the Doctor's room, silent tears running down her cheeks.

"Help us."

* * *

Kayla whimpered softly, a few tears starting to fall.

"Please, Doctor."

* * *

Jack continued to watch the screen, a tear falling down his cheek.

"Help us."

* * *

Rose leaned against the doorframe, composing herself as she watched the sleeping Doctor, when the noise of someone sobbing reached her ears, shocking her.

"He's dead, and hurt and it's all my fault." Rose walked back down the hall to see Kayla heading for the door…and then diving for cover as the window smashed, spraying the floor with glass. The ground shook violently, not helping matters.

* * *

Jack, Tosh, Owen, and Suzie were running to their station.

"Sonic wave!" Tosh called from her computer.

* * *

"It's the spaceship - it's hit the atmosphere!" Llewellyn yelled from over an alarm going off in the UNIT base.

* * *

Kayla was the first to go outside with Mickey, Rose, and Jackie not far behind to see a massive spaceship starting to obscure the sun. It only took a few second for Kayla and Rose to break away and take charge and run to the Doctor's bedroom.

"Kayla, we're gonna carry him." Rose called to the brunette when they were all in the Doctor's room. "Mum - get your stuff, and get some food. We're going."

"Well, where to?" Mickey asked quickly.

"TARDIS, it's the only place where we can protect the Doctor." Kayla answered.

"What're we gonna do in there?!" Jackie cried out.

"Hide, protect, and run." Kayla muttered.

"There's a great, big, alien invasion and we need to the Doctor to help us Mum." Rose pointed out. Jackie sighed in frustration and left the room, causing the two girls to hoist the Doctor up, Kayla with the upper body and Rose with the legs. Mickey awkwardly followed behind, not sure what he was doing.

"Mickey, get the door." Kayla called.

* * *

Harriet hurried forwards to Llewellyn. "They're transmitting. Onscreen." He told her nervously as the Sycorax started to speak in their language.

"'Will the leader of this world stand forward.'" Alex translated, the words making Harriet step forwards, proud and strong.

"I'm proud to represent this planet." She announced, raising her head as she spoke.

"'Come aboard...'" Alex said, staring at his phone.

"Well, how do I do that?" She asked, confused.

As if her words were a trigger, a blue light surrounded her, Major Blake, Alex, and Llewellyn. Within a matter of minutes, leaving Llewellyn's panicked cry of, "Wh- what's happening?" and Harriet's calm, a bit bewildered at most, reply of, "I would imagine it's called a teleport." hanging in the air.

* * *

The four people stood in the Sycorax ship, facing thousands of Sycoraxs, but only one stepped forwards, making the others do the same. The Syocrax that had stepped forwards, the Leader to be exact, raised his hands to his head to take a helmet off.

"It's a helmet. They might be like us!" Llewellyn pointed out, hope starting to replace his fear. Oh how wrong he was, instead, once the helmet was off, the Sycorax's face was covered in what appeared to be muscle and bone, like someone had ripped his skin off, making a disgusting alien creature. "... or not." Llewellyn squeaked out, the fear back in full force.

As if the Sycorax agreed, he started to speak in his language.

* * *

Rose and Kayla carried the Doctor out of the front door, Mickey in front to open the TARDIS and Jackie in the back, struggling with several shopping bags. Accidently, she dropped one, and since they really weren't in _that _much danger, she took her time to pick up the bag, causing Rose to yell, "Mum, will you just leave that stuff and give us a hand?"

"It's food! You said we need f—" She started to protest, causing Kayla and Rose to give off identical sighs.

"We'll have food in the TARDIS Jackie, please will you help us though?" Kayla tried.

* * *

The Syocrax leader was still talking to the humans, Alex translating throughout the whole time.

"'You will surrender, or I will release the final curse. And your people will jump.'" Llewellyn's eyes widened and he pushed his way through the others.

"If I can speak." He called out, still struggling to get to the front.

Major Blake grabbed his arm, pulling the terrified man back. "Mr, Llewellyn, you're a civilian!" He protested.

"No! I sent out the probe. I started it. I made contact with these people - this whole thing's my responsibility." Llewellyn pulled his arm out of Blake's grasp and stepped forwards to address the Sycroax Leader who was coming slowly down the stairs to meet them.

"With respect...sir. The human race is taking its first step towards the stars, but...we are like children compared to you." The Leader looked unimpressed, like the speech the man was giving them bored his mind. "Children who need help. Children who need compassion. I beg of you now...show that compassion."

The Sycorax leader stared at Llewellyn for a few seconds, his hands reaching for his whip, which lashed out, curling around Llewellyn's neck. With a cry of pain and then a flash of blue that covered his whole body…Llewellyn's skeleton fell to the ground, nothing more than a ghost of a brave man.

Major Blake stepped forwards, his whole body shaking in his fury, "That man was your prisoner! Even your species must have articles of war, forbidding—" Once again, the whip lashed out, wrapping around Blake's neck and turning him into a skeleton, his bone pile resting next to Llewellyn's.

Alex started to step forwards, but Harriet Jones pulled him back and stepped forwards, pulling out her ID, "Harriet Jones. Prime Minister."

The Syocrax made a curt noise as reply that Alex translated to, "'Yes. We know who you are. Surrender or they will die.'" Once Alex had finished, the Sycorax leader turned his back to the two, taking an position next to a large red button.

"If I do surrender...how would that be better?" Harriet asked.

"'Half is sold into slavery or one third dies.'" Alex read, then his brow furrowed as the Sycorax made more noises. "'Your choice.'" He finished.

Harriet Jones closed her eyes, and then opened them again, more alone than ever. Sensing her emotions, the Sycorax Leader hissed at her.

* * *

Mickey stepped into the TARDIS, Rose and Kayla carrying the Doctor behind him. Jackie followed after several minutes, still struggling with her bags, dropping one right outside the doorway, but no one cared. Instead, the two girls were panting the weight of the Doctor, heading straight through the open doors due to Mickey. Jackie hurriedly followed, pausing just for a small moment, staring around before coming into the TARDIS.

"No chance you could fly this thing?" Mickey asked thoughtfully, staring at the complex controls on the console.

"Not anymore, no." Rose replied, still helping Kayla move the Doctor.

"Well, you did it before..." Mickey pointed out.

"I know, but it's sort of been...wiped out of my head, like it's forbidden." Rose answered, leaning down to put the Doctor onto the floor.

"The beginning wasn't wiped from mine, but the end was." Kayla added in, panting ever so slightly.

"Try that again and I think the universe rips in half." Rose added in, sighing with relief as she leaned against the console. Next to her, Kayla rubbed her head, yawning.

"I have never been so tired." She struggled to say, yawning as she spoke.

Mickey raised an eyebrow at Kayla, slightly concerned, slightly shocked. What had happened to the energetic, snappish girl she had been when they last met? "So, what do we do? Just sit here?" He asked, shaking his head slightly to get rid of the thoughts. She was probably fine, and Rose didn't seem that worried, far from it actually. Instead she just grumbled out,

"That's as good as it gets." Not even sparing a glance to the others.

"Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea." Jackie gasped out, walking in with a thermal, all the other bags waiting outside.

"Thanks Jackie." Kayla muttered.

"Hmm, the solution to everything..." Rose mumbled.

"Now, stop your moaning. I'll get the rest of the food." Jackie ordered, already leaving the TARDIS for the rest of the bags. Once the door closed, Rose leaned against the console with a sigh of relief and Kayla went over to the two seats and collapsed onto them.

"Tea. Like we're having a picnic while the world comes to an end. Very British." Mickey joked, trying to get a smile or laugh from the weary girls. Giving up on joking, he turned to the monitor close by, hoping that Rose would take the chance to show-off. "How does this thing work? It picks up TV, maybe we could see what's going on out there. Maybe we've surrendered." He tapped around on a few buttons, only getting a groan from Kayla. Rose, on the other hand, turned to look at the monitor, starting to get Mickey's hopes up and then…

"I dunno, it sort of tunes itself." She snapped, pressing a few buttons while she spoke.

* * *

The Leader of the Sycorax on their ship turned, hearing the loud and angry blips of the TARDIS computer. After a short pause, he started to hiss out harsh, furious noises that Alex did his best to translate.

"The noise - the bleeping - they say it's machinery. Foreign machinery. They're accusing us of hiding it. Conspiring. Bring it on board."

* * *

Jackie carried two more shopping bags as she headed to the TARDIS, only for it to get teleported away right in front of her. "Rose?" She called out, a note of injury in her voice. "Rose!" Despite her calling, the TARDIS didn't come back. And with a dark feeling, Jackie looked up at the spaceship hovering above London. The feeling only getting stronger.

* * *

Jack rubbed his head, getting a headache from angry beeping noises echoing around the Hub. "Tosh, can you shut that off?" He yelled, the woman in question shaking her head, her face screwed up in discomfort.

"What is it?" Owen yelled over, also in obvious discomfort.

"I don't know!" Jack called back, shaking his head to get rid of the idea of the noise being familiar. Didn't the TARDIS do that sometimes?

* * *

Mickey and Rose stared at the TARDIS monitor, listening to its beeping noises. Kayla groaned on her seat, glaring at the console.

"Maybe it's a distress signal." Mickey tried hopefully.

"No, she's pissed." Kayla muttered.

"Fat lot of good that's gonna do. A pissed off TARDIS." Rose grumbled.

"Are you gonna be a misery all the time?" Mickey asked.

"Yes." She answered.

"More of tired." Kayla grunted out. Mickey shot her a small look that basically conveyed, 'don't talk.'

"You should look at it from my point of view - stuck in here with your mum's cooking." He then joked, still glancing over at Kayla from time to time.

At the mention of her mother, Rose glanced around the TARDIS, suddenly realizing that she wasn't in the TARDIS. "Where is she?" She asked, straightening up at the shrug she got from Mickey. "I'd better go and give her a hand. It might start raining missiles out there." Rose joked, heading to the doors.

"Tell her anything from a tin, that's fine." Mickey called after her.

"Why don't you tell her yourself?" Rose asked, starting to head to the door.

"I'm not that brave." Mickey answered quickly.

Rose paused at the TARDIS door, her hand resting on the handle. "Oh, I don't know..." She smiled at Mickey, who instantly smiled back. She turned the handle and stepped outside, the door barely cracked behind her.

* * *

The first thing Rose realized was that she definitely wasn't in London, the second, slightly more important one, was that she had been grabbed. With a scream, she was dragged away by alien hands.

* * *

Mickey looked around the TARDIS, Kayla looking more alert. Both had heard a very familiar voice scream. "Rose?" Mickey called out.

"Mickey, I don't think we should go out there…" Kayla stated, but Mickey either didn't hear or didn't pay attention. Instead, he headed after the blond, dropping the thermal flask in his haste. "Mickey!" Kayla called after him, getting up and staring to follow, until she tripped over the thermal and hit her head hard on the floor, knocking her out and sending the thermal flask to sit right next to the Doctor's head, starting to leak out.

"Get off! Get off me!" Rose called, still trapped in the Sycorax's grip. Mickey ran out, his eyes widening at his surroundings. "The door! Close the door!" Rose screamed at him, the TARDIS doors opened and waiting for someone to come in. Mickey dashed to the door and slammed it shut, getting a brief glimpse of Kayla on the floor before he too was grabbed by a Sycorax.

* * *

The Doctor and Kayla were left alone in the TARDIS, the former very still and lifeless and the latter slowly getting there. Nearer to the Doctor than Kayla, tea dropped from the flask and through the grilling, dripping onto the machinery below the console. Very slowly, steam started to curl up through the holes.

* * *

The Leader yelled with the glee, causing the onlookers to cheer. Harriet Jones stumbled towards Rose as the cheering continued. "Rose." She gasped out, embracing her, both terrified. "Rose! I've got you. My Lord. My precious thing. The Doctor...is he with you?"

Rose took a shaky breath, staring at the older woman in front of her. "No. We're all on our own." She said, her voice quivering with each word.

Sure, the Doctor _was_ there, but would he be any help, no, so why make Harriet think any different? Why give her hope?

The smoke from the dripping tea rose from beneath the grilling and surrounded the Doctor's head, curling itself into his airways. He took a deep, long breath in his sleep, his body showing signs of life. The Doctor opened his mouth again, letting more of the vortex fly off.

The Sycorax Leader pointed at Rose, speaking in his harsh language angrily.

"'The yellow girl. She has the clever blue box. Therefore, she speaks for your planet.'" Alex translated.

"But she can't." Harriet protested, glancing at Rose, who bristled and raised her head definetly.

"Yeah, I can." She disagreed, her eyes not moving off of the Leader.

"Don't you dare." Mickey argued, seeing Rose growing angry. If there was one thing that got Rose very angry, it was being told she couldn't do something.

Rose was seething, sure she could do this. "Someone's gotta be the Doctor." She explained to Harriet, stepping forwards slightly, only to have Harriet grab her.

"They'll kill you."

Rose just shook loose of the frail grip. "Never stopped him." With her head held high in slightly pretended courage, she took several steps towards the Sycorax Leader, failing to ignore the other Sycorax chatting among themselves excitedly.

"I, um...I address the Sycorax according to.. article fifteen of the Shadow Proclamation. I command you to leave this world with all the authority of the Slitheen Parliament of Raxacoricofallapatorius, and um...the Gelth Confederacy..." The Leader began to stride towards her. "A-as uh...sanctioned...by the Mighty Jagrafess...and...Oh, the Daleks! Now, leave this planet in peace! In peace..." A stunned silence fell upon the group for a few seconds, and then all Sycoraxs started to laugh while the Sycorax Leader began to speak again.

"'You are very, very funny.'" Alex translated while the Leader's noises became more harsh sounding. "'And now you're going to die.'"

Harriet lurched forwards along with Mickey. "Leave her alone!" She cried out.

"Don't touch her!" Mickey added in.

"Leave her alone." Harriet repeated as she and Mickey were restrained by the Sycorax. Only able to watch the Leader circle Rose, still speaking.

"'Did you think you were clever with your stolen words?'" Alex translated as the Sycorax Leader raised his arms into the air, speaking passionately. "'We are the Sycorax. We astride the darkness.'" The Leader hissed at Rose, causing her to whimper in fear. "'Next to us you are but a wailing child. If you are the best your planet can offer as a champion...'"

"Then your world will be gutted..." The Sycorax Leader said in perfect English.

"'... then your world will be gutted...'" Alex continued, not picking up on the change. Rose, meanwhile, was staring at the Sycorax in shock.

"... and your people enslaved." The Leader continued.

"'... and your people enslaved.'" Alex looked up, his eyes wide. "Hold on, that's English."

"You're talking English." Harriet agreed.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile!" The Syocrax Leader yelled out, looking disgusted at the mere thought of that.

"That's English." Rose said, pointing at the Leader. She whirled around and looked at the others. "Can you hear English?" She questioned. At this, they nodded.

"Yeah, that's English." Mickey answered promptly.

"Definitely English." Alex put in.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" The Leader roared, cutting in.

Rose started to speak softly to herself, fidgeting as if she wanted to pace but didn't want to make the Sycorax Leader angrier. "If I can hear English," she started, speaking softly to herself, "then it's being translated. Which means it's working. Which means..."

Rose turned around slowly to look at the TARDIS, Harriet and Mickey following her lead. The doors opened to reveal Kayla Hark looking well rested and happy, her hand connected with the Doctor's, who was standing right next to her in his stripy pajamas and the dressing gown thrown over them. "Did you miss us?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Rose smiled in delight when she saw the Doctor, perfectly fine, just standing there, his eyebrow cocked. Then her eyes travelled down to his hand which was connected to a certain brunet's. It was probably for the best that the Sycorax Leader chose that time to roar angrily behind her and lash his whip out at the Doctor, because Rose was having a hard time to keeping her face from showing the anger she was feeling.

The Doctor, however, grabbed the whip with his free hand and pulled it out from the Leader's hand and then removed his hand from Kayla's to throw it away. "You could have someone's eye out with that!" He chastised as if the Leader was a naughty child.

"He's right you know." Kayla added in, a small smile on her face, which only made the Leader grow angrier, and attack them both with his staff, roaring angrily. Kayla, however, snatched it off the of him and snapped it over her knee, chucking the pieces onto the floor. "You just can't get the staff. Now, you, just wait. We're busy." She ordered the Leader, who stared at the two incredulously, but the Doctor pointed at him warningly for a brief second and then went over to Mickey, Kayla following behind him.

"Mickey! Hello!" The Doctor started, very different from his 9th self. He then turned to Harriet Jones, who look shocked at the arrival of the Doctor and Kayla, more so at the former since he wasn't supposed to be there. "And Harriet Jones MP for Flydale North! Blimey, it's like 'This Is Your Life!'" Kayla gave the stunned woman a small smile as the Doctor turned his attention to Rose. "Tea! That's all I needed! A good cup of tea! Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for healing the synapses..." His voice lowered and turned very serious, completely different from his joyfulness. "Now, Kayla already told me how I looked but I want your opinion, and be honest. How do I look?"

Rose blinked at the Doctor, almost as if she was testing to be sure he was serious. "Um…different." She stated, deciding to play along with the obviously mental Doctor.

"Good different or bad different?" He asked with a slight frown.

"Just...different." She repeated.

And it was true, she hadn't decided yet. The Doctor was supposed to be northern, with a shaved head, and big ears, not some brown haired and sideburns freak in stripy pajamas.

The Doctor watched Rose's face carefully, unlike Kayla, who had been laughing to death with each question and how serious he had been, Rose's face was blank. Which was why he felt very comfortable to ask her, "Am I...ginger?" Something he hadn't gotten to because Kayla couldn't speak due to her laughter.

Rose glanced up at the Doctor's very brown and slightly spikey hair, and then back down to his face. "No, you're just sort of brown."

The Doctor pouted deeply, turning away from the blond to face Kayla, who was giggling uncontrollably. "Aww, I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger." He suddenly turned back to face Rose, pointing at her violently. "And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were - you gave up on me- oh, that's rude. That's the sort of man I am now, am I? Rude." His face turned to one of thoughtfulness and confusion at the same time, "Rude and not ginger."

"I'm sorry - who are you two?" Harriet finally cut in, staring at the three like they were insane.

"I'm Kayla Hark and this," Kayla gestured to the Doctor, smiling at him, "is the Doctor."

"I'm the Doctor." The Doctor supplied after her.

Harriet blinked, that couldn't be the Doctor. The Doctor was nearly bald, and older, and northern. "But what happened to my Doctor? Or is it a title that's just passed on?"

The Doctor started to walk towards her. "I'm him. I'm literally him. Same man, new face - well, new everything." He shrugged lightly as if that all made sense, but by the way her brow was furrowing, Harriet Jones obviously didn't think the same.

"But you can't be." She protested.

"Harriet Jones. We were trapped in Downing Street, and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens...wasn't the war...it was the thought of your mother being on her own."

Harriet gasped, her eyes widen as she stared at the Doctor. "Oh, my God."

The Doctor walked a bit closer and bent down to speak directly to Harriet. "Did you win the election?" He asked kindly, a small smile forming.

At the question, Harriet smiled, extremely pleased. "Landslide majority."

"If I might interrupt!" The Sycorax Leader interjected suddenly, angered by the…_cattle _ignoring him, their Leader!

Guiltily, having forgotten that the Sycorax Leader was there, the group spun around to stare at him.

"Yes! Sorry! Hello, big fella!" the Doctor said, speaking quickly.

"Who exactly are you?" The Leader asked, looking at the Doctor.

The Time Lord in question fixed a smile onto his face. "Well. That's the question."

"I demand to know who you are!" The Leader roared, his voice deep and raw.

With a perfect imitation of the Leader's voice, the Doctor roared back, "I DON'T KNOW!" In an almost split second he relaxed back into his new normal voice. "See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I- I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested." He started to pace, stretching his legs, which were different from his pervious body. "Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?" He glanced over at Kayla, who was watching him walk around, "Sexy?" He winked cheekily at Kayla, who just shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips. "Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." The Doctor's eyes widened considerably at the sight of the large giant button that pulsed with an alien light. "And how am I gonna react when I see this?" An insane smile was already forming as he pointed at the button. Quirking his eyebrows, he continued, "A great big threatening button." Laughing loudly, he ran up the stairs towards it. "A Great Big Threatening Button Which Must Not Be Pressed Under Any Circumstances. Am I right? Let me guess, it's some sort of control matrix? Hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it?"

Kayla slowly walked over behind him, her eyebrows raising as the Doctor pulled open a small door on the base it was sitting on to access the control. A small vile of red liquid sat in it, seemingly harmless. "That isn't…" Kayla held a hand over her mouth, swallowing hard.

"And what've we got here? Blood?" The Doctored dipped his finger into the red liquid and ignoring the protested from Kayla, he put said finger into his mouth. "Yeah, definitely. Blood. Human blood. A Positive. With just a dash of iron." He wiggled his tongue at the blood and got to his feet. "Ahh. But that means...blood control—" Another grin was quickly growing as he spoke, "Blood control! Oh! I haven't seen blood control for years! You're controlling all the A Positives!"

Completely delighted at the prospect of blood control, the Sycorax Leader faltered while the Doctor continued to grin. "Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem," the Doctor started, still beaming. "'Cos... I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a Great Big Threatening Button Which Should Never Ever Be Pressed...then I just wanna do this." He turned and whacked at the button.

Behind him, Rose and Harriet's voice mingled together in one loud protest. "No!"

* * *

Down on Earth, all the A Positives took a step forwards as if they meant to walk off their respective surfaces when, as one, they were released from their hypnotization. "What the hell am I doing up here?" A male voice, Jason, called out from the crowd of the people who used to be hypnotized.

"Get away from the edge!" Sandra ordered, her eyes starting to fill with tears as her husband returned to his normal state.

Jason and all the others quickly stepped back from the edge, their eyes wide and sleepy. A shout started from one side of the roof, making everyone raise their eyes to the spaceship above.

* * *

On said spaceship, everyone but Kayla and the Doctor were stunned. Beside the yelled 'no' from Rose and Harriet, no one had spoken. Finally, Alex called out, "You killed them!"

Instead of answering Alex's call, the Doctor merely smirked at the Sycorax Leader. "What do you think, big fella? Are they dead?"

After an uncomfortable and tense silence, the Sycorax Leader snapped back. "We allow them to live."

Kayla scoffed but didn't comment. "Allow?" The Doctor questioned, "You've no choice! I mean, that's all blood control is. Cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes. It's like hypnosis - you can hypnotize someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis, you can't hypnotize them to death. Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force." The Leader insisted, trying to make the indifferent Doctor fear.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, yeah, you could, yeah, you could do that - of course you could. But why? Look at these people." He gestured to the humans behind him, keeping his eyes on the Leader as he spoke. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than- no, hold on...the Doctor paused completely, his brow furring. "Sorry, that's 'The Lion King'. But the point still stands. Leave them alone!"

"Or what?" The Leader challenged.

"Or…" As the Doctor started for a sword, Kayla grabbed one from the Sycorax that was hardly guarding her. With a sharp inhale, he watched the action unfold beneath him. To him, Kayla had never looked more beautiful. An action with her hand made him focus and grab the sword she had hurtled to him.

"He challenges you." Kayla called out for him, waiting as the Doctor quickly ran down the steps to the clearing in front of the TARDIS that she was standing in.

"I challenge you." He gasped out.

The Sycorax Leader, who had been watching the action silently, stared at the Doctor and Kayla. A second passed, then two, and then the Leader burst into laughter, a few others joining in.

Kayla smirked at the Leader, "We are right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply in this challenge, so why are you laughing?"

The Leader walked down the steps and took out his sword. "You stand as this world's champion." He stated.

The Doctor merely shrugged off his borrowed dressing gown. "Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." With a cheeky grin, he tossed the dressing gown to Kayla, who caught it. "So - you accept my challenge? Or are you just a _cranak pel casacree salvak_?" At the words, the Sycorax knelt with a hiss of anger, causing the Doctor to do the same, just without the hiss.

"For the planet?" The Leader hissed.

"For the planet." The Doctor agreed.

Kayla stepped backwards quickly and then watched as the less powerful Doctor struggled to find a rhythm in the match. A groan escaped her when the Doctor was thrown aside by the Sycorax Leader, who just laughed. Instead of giving any outward sign of injury, the Doctor straightened himself and they started to fight again. Almost immediately, the Leader swung his sword at the Doctor.

"Look out!" Rose screamed out.

The Doctor and the Sycorax Leader both paused to stare at the blond, who blushed furiously. "Oh, yeah, that helped. Wouldn't have thought of that otherwise, thanks." The Leader swung at the Doctor right after he finished his sentence, officially unpausing the match. Only this time, the Doctor was fighting better, and moved with a sort of clunky grace.

"Bit of fresh air?" He suggested, having successfully moved them to a button which he jabbed, causing a door to open. The sun's light poured into the room, and a strong whistling wind was heard outside of the door.

* * *

Fighting each other the whole way, the Sycorax Leader and the Doctor carried on their fight. Not once did their eyes travel to Harriet Jones, Rose, Mickey, Alex, Kayla, or a few of the Sycorax who followed them.

With a lucky jab, the Sycorax Leader managed to catch the Doctor slightly on the nose. He grunted slightly, feeling a small trickle of blood start from the cut. Having seen the event, Rose started forwards to help but Kayla placed a warning hand on the blond's shoulder. "Stay back." She whispered, "Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet." With a soft sigh, Rose stepped backwards.

Not noticing or ignoring Rose's start toward him, the Doctor wiped at his noise and then the Leader and he charged, clashing their swords in a mighty strike. Grimacing with the effort, the Doctor was knocked backwards and onto the rough ground, nearly falling off the spaceship itself. Taking advantage of this, the Sycorax Leader raised his sword above the man and slashed the Doctor's arm, taking away the entire part from the elbow down, not only taking away his hand, but also his sword. With a small gasp, the Doctor watched his hand fall down to the Earth, helpless to do anything about it. Once it was out of sight, he turned his head to stare at the Leader, surprise and annoyance mingling on his face.

"You cut my hand off." He stated softly.

The Leader, however, cheered loudly for himself. "YAH! Sycorax!"

Having none of that, the Doctor got to his feet. "And now I know what sort of man I am. I'm lucky. 'Cos quite by chance...I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle. Which means I've got just enough residual cellular energy...to do this." Holding out the stump of his arm, the Doctor watched in satisfaction as the arm grew back for all to see.

"Witchcraft." The Leader breathed, horrified.

"Time Lord." The Doctor responded.

Rose reached at the waist of the Sycorax closest to her and grabbed its sword. "Doctor!" She yelled.

The man in question turned in time to see her throw the sword. He caught it quickly by the handle of his new hand and spun it around, watching the blade. "Oh, so I'm still the Doctor, then?" He teased at the blond.

Rose smiled, putting her tongue between her teeth. "No arguments from me!"

With a delighted grin, the Doctor turned back to the Leader. "Wanna know the best bit? This new hand..." He took on a Southern, almost Texan accent, "It's a fightin' hand!"

With his cry lingering in the air, the Doctor ran at the Leader, resuming the fight. Only this time, the Doctor defiantly had the upper hand. Jabbing and slashing at the alien, he fought brilliantly. Finally, he jabbed his sword in the Leader's stomach, making his onlookers groan in sympathetic pain and the Leader to grunt out. Doing it twice more, the Doctor watched in satisfaction as the Leader fell to the ground. Automatically, the Doctor put his sword at his sword.

"I win." The Doctor panted out.

His breathing labored, the Leader struggled to see the sword that was pointed at his throat. "Then kill me." He gasped out.

With a slight shake of his head, the Doctor responded. "I'll spare your life if you'll take this champion's command: leave this planet, and never return. What do you say?"

Without a pause to gather his thought the Sycorax answered with a firm, "Yes."

Not pleased with the quickness of the answer, the Doctor gritted his teeth and jabbed his sword into the Leader's neck, his face hardening with anger. "Swear on the blood of your species."

Barely able to draw a breath in, the Leader choked out, "I swear."

Like he had flipped a coin, all hardness and anger left the Doctor's face. His voice became light and easy as he spoke. "There we are, then! Thanks for that! Cheers, big fella!" Pulling back, he stabbed the sword roughly into the ground.

Behind him, his audience slowly started up again. "Bravo!" Harriet called, clapping. Next to her, Kayla and Rose both smiled and went over to the Doctor.

"That says it all. Bravo!" Rose told him.

"Good job sweetie." Kayla smiled sweetly at him, and after a small second, she handed him his dressing gown.

"Yeah! Not bad for a man in his jim-jams!" With a large grin, he wrapped his arm around Kayla's waist. "Very Arthur Dent. Now, there was a nice man. Hold on, what have I got in here?" Removing his free hand from the pocket of his dressing gown, he stared in bewilderment of the satsuma that was now in his hand. Rose giggled softly, prompting one from Kayla. "A satsuma. Ah, that friend of your mothers ." he indicated Rose, "He does like his snacks doesn't he? But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?"

The three walked towards the door they had exited from. With a grin, the Doctor threw the satusma up into the air and caught it with ease. "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?"

While the Doctor spoke, the Sycorax Leader slowly got to his feet. With a painful reach, he picked up his sword and with a roar, he prepared to charge. Not even flinching or turning around, the Doctor merely lobbed the satsuma at a switch on the side of the door, causing the ground beneath the Sycorax Leader to vanish. With a horror filled yell, he fell to Earth, his cries changing the Doctor's grin to a deep frown.

"No second chances. I'm that sort of a man."

* * *

The Doctor stood in front of the TARDIS with Kayla and the others. With a steel note in his voice, the Doctor addressed the remaining Sycoraxs. "By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time. And when go you back to the stars and tell others of this planet...when you tell them of its riches - its people - its potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this: It - is - defended." As one, the TARDIS, the Doctor, Rose, Kayla, Harriet Jones, Mickey, and Alex were all teleported away.

* * *

The TARDIS and the six people were teleported onto a street. "Where are we?" Rose asked, staring at the unfamiliar road.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" With a shout of laughter, Mickey jumped up in down in glee, celebrating. Slightly annoyed, the Doctor held his hand out, stopping the excited boy. Above them, the spaceship's engines started up loudly.

"Wait a minute…wait a minute..." The engines roared noisily as the ship flew off into space and out of sight.

"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!" Mickey yelled at the spaceship.

Rose, gleefully, jumped onto his back, also yelling at the spaceship. "Yeah! Don't come back!"

"It is defended!" Mickey called.

Beside the now laughing…friends…Kayla and the Doctor awkwardly hugged, unsure of what they should do exactly. However, all good things had to end, and the Doctor ended their sweet and awkward embrace and walked over to Harriet Jones, one arm remained around Kayla's waist, keeping her close.

"My Doctor." The elderly woman smiled at the Doctor, a shadow of surprise flashing across her eyes as she saw just how close the Doctor and Kayla were. If anything, she had assumed that _Rose _and the Doctor would be together.

Noticing the surprise but deciding not comment on it, the Doctor smiled equally as bright. "Prime Minister." Removing his arm from around Kayla's waist, the Doctor briefly hugged the Prime Minister only to put his arm straight back around Kayla's waist.

"Absolutely the same man." Harriet said fondly. With a shared grin, the three stood comfortably in silence for a brief moment before turning to look up at the sky. "Are there many more out there?" She wondered, her gaze not leaving the sky.

"Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals - this planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed...more and more." With a gaze filled with many years of seeing others suffer, the Doctor turned to look at Harriet Jones. "You'd better get used to it."

If Harriet wanted to answer the Time Lord, she never got a chance due to the clatter of feet and a hysterical cry of, "Rose!"

The cry was quickly answered by Rose herself. "Mum!"

With a grumble, the Doctor turned to see Jackie scrambling down the street, "Oh! Talking of trouble...!"

Rose, however much she didn't want to, ran over to her mother and hugged her tightly. "Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!"

Smiling despite himself, the Doctor watched on, not even noticing Alex's communication device beep. Instead, he watched as Mickey went over to the mother and daughter.

"You did it too! It was the tea! Fixed his head!" Rose argued.

"That was all I needed - cup o' tea." The Doctor agreed, walking over with Kayla.

"I said so!" Jackie claimed, grinning like a cat.

Rose smiled widely. "Look at him!"

And Jackie did look. She looked at the Doctor, at how close he was to Kayla, and how happy they were. Rose must have seen it too, because her face fell a bit, and instead she indicated for Jackie to look over at..."Oh, my God! It's the bleeding Prime Minister!" She exclaimed.

"Come here, you." The Doctor stated fondly, once again removing his arm from around Kayla's waist to hug the blond. Jackie threw her arms around him with zester, and with a grin, Kayla joined in, prompting Rose and Mickey to come over and put their arms into the fray.

"Aww...! Are you better?" Jackie asked.

"I am, yeah!" the Doctor answered.

As the five talked together, the Doctor sure to keep Kayla next to him, Alex walked over to Harriet Jones, obviously wanting to talk about the message he had received when they had arrived back on Earth. "It's a message from Torchwood. They say they're ready." He muttered to her.

Harriet Jones closed her eyes briefly, and then opened them again. Her breathing faltered as she saw the happy group standing a short way away.

Not even noticing Alex and Harriet watching, the small group all smiled and talked to each other. Jackie, as always, being the loudest. "You left me!" She said to Rose.

"I'm sorry!" Rose quickly replied, scared of her mother when she was angry.

Jackie would not give up though. "I had all the food!" She pointed out. The Doctor, Mickey, and Kayla grinned as they watched, thankful that it wasn't them. Growing bored, the Doctor turned to smile at Harriet, who smiled weakly back.

With a heavy heart, Harriet Jones, Prime Minister of England, turned to Alex and said the words that would ruin her life. "Tell them to fire."

Giving a short nod, Alex turned to his communication device. "Fire at will." He relayed.

Despite how long it felt for Harriet and Alex, it was only a few minutes until a green beam of light shot out loudly from the ground nearby, the noise alone making the Doctor, Rose, Kayla, Mickey and Jackie jump in alarm. In a few seconds, four other beams had shot out, creating one giant fifth one when they met. The beams paused in midair, as if they were holding their breath. And then they exhaled, and the energy shot up into space and hit the spaceship above, destroying it.

Rose was the first to move, let alone speak. With a loud gasp that seemed louder due to the silence of London she asked, "What is that? What's happening?" Jackie put one hand to her mouth in horror while the other went onto Rose's arm, meaning to comfort her daughter.

The grin the Doctor had been wearing was nothing but a mere shadow now. He turned his face from the sky to Harriet Jones. Looking more dangerous than any alien Kayla and Rose had ever seen, he stalked towards the Prime Minister. "That was murder." He spat at her.

"That was defense. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago." Harriet quickly defended. Sure she felt guilty, but that wouldn't change the reasoning behind it.

Displeased and angry, the Doctor continued on. "But they were leaving."

"You said yourself, Doctor. They'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today – Mr. Llewellyn and the Major. They were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case - we have to defend ourselves." Harriet Jones, Prime Minister, glared at the Doctor, blaming him for the two deaths she had seen just that day.

"Britain's Golden Age." The Doctor hissed out disdainfully.

"It comes with a price." Harriet told him, defending her honor.

The Doctor's lips twisted into an evil, disgusting smirk. "I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run - as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming: the human race."

Harriet shook her head, "Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf."

"Then I should've stopped you." The Doctor spat out, meaning every word.

"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?" Harriet challenged.

The Doctor stepped towards the woman angrily. Behind him, Kayla also stepped forwards, prepared to restrain him if she had to. "Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones. 'Cos I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word."

Harriet just shook her head sadly. "You're the most remarkable man I've ever met. But I don't think you're quite capable of that."

"No, you're right. Not a single word." He looked down at her silently, wanting her to apologize, to object again, but he was left with no choice but to continue. "Just six."

"I don't think so." Harriet objected quickly.

"Six words." He repeated, cruelly taunting her.

"Stop it!" She cried out.

"Six." There eyes met and a battle of the will started. Then the Doctor walked around her and towards Alex. In a swift motion, he took of the man's earpiece and spoke to him quietly so that no one except for the two men could hear him speak.

"Don't you think she looks tired?" With the six words echoing in Alex's ear, the Doctor walked off again, leaving the poor boy rather confused and Harriet Jones alarmed and terrified. Meeting up with Kayla first, he put his arm around the brunet's waist and walked with her to Mickey, Rose, and Jackie. Wordlessly, the five walked down the street. Behind them, Harriet Jones rushed up to Alex.

"What did he say?" She asked him urgently.

"Oh, uh- nothing, really—" The poor boy stammered out, his mind turning at what the Time Lord had whispered to him.

"What did he say?!" Harriet repeated, her voice rising as she grew more terrified.

Alex shook his head stammering out, "I- nothing! I don't know!" Honestly he didn't understand _anything _that had happened today, including what the Doctor had told him.

Losing hope, Harriet turned and screamed after the retreating figure of the Doctor. "Doctor! Doctor, what did you- what was- what did he say?! What did you say, Doctor? Doctor?!" With his arm still wrapped around Kayla's waist, the Doctor and the others ignored the hysteric Prime Minister. "I'm sorry." She whispered. Glancing over at Alex, she saw him walk away. And for once, Harriet Jones was completely alone.

* * *

In the TARDIS Wardrobe, the Doctor riffled through the clothes he had gathered through his many regenerations. His last self had hated drawing attention, but this one, this one enjoyed it. Growing tired of the silence, he had the TARDIS turn on music, and after only a few seconds, the Doctor was humming along happily to the song.

_When I woke up today and the world seemed a restless place, it could have been that way for me..._

* * *

Mickey, Rose, Jackie, and Kayla, the latter of which had been standing off to the side, watching, had finished preparing Christmas dinner. Like they had done every single year before, Mickey started to carve the turkey.

_Then I wandered around..._

* * *

Growing restless, the Doctor shuffled through the clothes.

_And I thought of your face..._

* * *

A brown suit seemed to stand out from all the rest. Hadn't Kayla said something about liking the color brown?

_That Christmas looking back at me..._

* * *

The Doctor grabbed the brown jacket, smiling with delight that he had remembered that small fact. Making sure to have the suit, he dashed off.

_I wish today was just like every other day._

* * *

Rose happily served sprouts at the small table.

_'Cos today has been the best day..._

* * *

The Doctor walked slowly up to the mirror, hands stashed into the pockets of his new brown suit and jacket. He turned around, trying to see as much of his new body as possible.

_Everything I ever dreamed. Then I started to walk..._

* * *

He leaned towards the mirror, running a hand over his new face.

_Pretty soon I will run..._

* * *

The Doctor opened his mouth to reveal his white teeth which he quickly ran his tongue over. Turning his head different ways, he seemed to admire the effect of each angle.

_Then I'll be running back to you._

* * *

With a raise of his eyebrow, a sniff, and a nod, the Doctor was ready to see Kayla.

_'Cos I followed my star, and that's what you are..._

* * *

With a small hop in his step, the Doctor left the enormous wardrobe.

* * *

The Doctor entered Jackie's flat, shutting the door behind him. Kayla and Rose looked up, but Rose was the one to drop her gaze, knowing that the Doctor wasn't here for _her, _he was there for Kayla.

_I've had a merry time with you._

* * *

Kayla laughed loudly as the Christmas cracker she pulled with the Doctor banged. Even though the Doctor won, he gave it to Kayla, having done the same with Rose when they had pulled at the Christmas crackers.

_I wish today was just like every other day._

* * *

"Oh, that's yours..." The Doctor said quickly. Kayla just shook her head and pulled out a lavender paper party hat out of the cracker.

"On second thought, I think I'll keep it." Kayla told the Doctor.

"Lavender! Lovely!" the Doctor called out, alerting everyone at the table. Kayla, who had been in process of putting it on, blushed furiously at the attention and ducked her head, giving Rose a view of the telly, which she quickly pointed out to everyone.

_'Cos today has been the best day, everything I ever dreamed..._

* * *

"Look, it's Harriet Jones!" She cried out.

Hearing her cry, they all turned to look at the television. The Doctor, whether to try them out or prove a point, took out a pair of black glasses from his pocket. "Prime Minister," A man spoke on the telly, obviously interviewing her, "is it true you are no longer fit to be in position?"

"No. Now, can we talk about other things?" Harriet said briskly.

The Doctor, still watching the telly, stood up and put the black, thick rimmed, and horribly geeky glasses on. Kayla stood up behind him and placed a hand on his arm while he frowned at the news, making him look like a disappointed professor.

"Is it true you're unfit for office?" the man pressed.

"Look, there is nothing wrong with my health! I don't know where these stories are coming from! And a vote of no confidence... is completely unjustified." Harriet Jones cried out, nearing hysteric level.

In the flat, Jackie winced at seeing the Prime Minister start to break down. Not wanting to see anymore, she turned away. Like a gift, the phone rang, prompting her to go get it.

"Are you going to resign?" The man continued.

Her face a mix of frustration and confusion, Harriet snapped, "On today of all days, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm fine. I look fine, I feel fine."

"It's Beth. She says go and look outside." Jackie called.

The Doctor, still not grinning, took his glasses off and turned back to the others.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"I dunno, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" Under Jackie's command, the five got up and headed for their coats.

* * *

The reason why Beth had called became apparent when they saw families playing in what appeared to be snow. Laughing with delight, they wondered outside, only for a shout of glee to come from nearby from a child, his finger pointed towards the sky. Following his lead, the five looked up to see meteors in the sky.

"They're beautiful." Kayla whispered, stepping closer to the Doctor.

"Oh, that's beautiful. What are they, meteors?" Rose called, walking up to stand on the other side of the Doctor.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash." Mickey, who had been trying to catch the "snow" on his tongue, spat it out immediately.

"Oh…I take that back." Kayla muttered.

"Not so beautiful." Rose agreed.

The Doctor turned his head to look at Kayla and then at Rose. "This is a brand new planet Earth. No denying the existence of aliens now - everyone saw it. Everything's new."

Staring at the ash covered ground, Rose asked, "And what about you? What are you gonna do next?"

"Well... back to the TARDIS with Kayla... same old life." At the Doctor mentioning her name, Kayla blushed but smiled slightly.

Feeling a spark of jealousy, Rose drew her head up to look at the Doctor. "With-without me?" She questioned.

"Why, don't you wanna come?" Rose smiled brightly at the Doctor's words.

"Well, yeah." Rose finally answered, biting down on her tongue to make sure she didn't freak out.

"Do you, though?" the Doctor checked, hoping that Rose would pick up that he and Kayla…well he and Kayla would exist.

"Yeah!"

"I just thought…'cos I changed…and Kayla and I…" the Doctor scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, watching the flash of jealously go across Rose's face.

"Yeah, I... I thought, 'cos you changed...and you and Kayla…you might not want me anymore." Rose replied back just as awkwardly.

"Oh, I'd love you to come!" the Doctor beamed at Rose, happy that she was staying.

"Okay!" Rose laughed, sharing a smile with the Doctor before he turned his head to smile at Kayla, a tenderness entering his eyes.

Having seen the whole thing, Mickey felt his heart shatter. "You're never gonna stay, are you?"

Hearing his voice, the three turned to look at him. "You can always come if you want to." Kayla offered.

"Nah, I'm too much of a coward."

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The three of you. It's like you go looking for trouble." Jackie called.

Smiling, the Doctor ran over to her. "Trouble's just the bits in-between," he started, putting an arm around the elder blond. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. It's brand new to me." Kayla and Rose smiled two very different smiles. "All those planets...creatures and horizons...I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes..." he hurried back over to Kayla and Rose, drawing the brunet to him, "And it is gonna be...fantastic."

Rose smiled brightly at the use of his old catchphrase and he grinned back. "So, where're we gonna go first?" She asked him.

Staring up at the sky, the Doctor struggled to remember where their destination was. "Um…that way." He pointed at one spot before he shook his head, "No, hold on...that way." His hand moved just an inch to the right of his first spot.

"Doctor, that's actually right." Kayla breathed out, causing Rose to laugh loudly and the Doctor to struggle with acting angry.

"I'll have you know I'm always right." The Doctor grinned despite his best efforts. Kayla grinned back and Rose chuckled softly. Perhaps the three could get use to this arrangement.

* * *

Captain Jack Harkness leaned back in his chair, reading the note the Doctor had left him so, so long ago. Despite his better judgment, just for that night, he let himself remember the times he had spent with the Doctor and Rose, and more importantly, with Kayla.

* * *

_The TARDIS felt the Thief and the Other Thief wandered in together. Their first battle was won, but now the two faced a bigger threat. Touchdown? No, that wasn't it. Torch? No…something else. Oh, what was it? Maybe she would find out later. Instead though, the TARDIS just hummed as the Thief and the Other Thief leaned in for a…a…KISS!_

* * *

**IT WAS SOO FLUFFY, AND THE KISS! Right...sorry.**

**So, THIS STUPID CHAPTER IS OVER THANK GOD! Y****eah, I now hate this episode. This part was 10,079 words, and I cut out some stuff.**

**Also, I hope you enjoyed the little bits of Torchwood seeping over, that was fun. **

**Next episode is New Earth and, like I said earlier, it's going to be a minisode.**

**Before I answer the reviews, I just wanted to say how happy I was when I read the reviews. Completely made my day. So, review time:**

**TheTinyMouse: Thanks! :D**

**TeamTHEFT: Your welcome and thanks! **

**grapejucie101: Thanks!**

**fandomenforcer: Everyone, everyone loves to snuggle with the Doctor. **

**beulah2013: I'm still freaking out about the title...and the next one. SO AWESOME! **

**dream lighting: Thanks! **

**Amelia (guest): They just go _so _well together! As for Rose and Kayla, it will definitely be a tense relationship, but there will be bonding...a very small thing of bonding. **


	3. New Earth Minisode

Kayla sat in the TARDIS, relaxing in her favorite chair that sat in the library. Having been utterly exhausted from yesterday, she had passed out while Rose and the Doctor explored New Earth. Her dream of sleeping was short lived when she jerked awake, feeling panicked. More importantly, she felt an overwhelming sense of horror, anger, and…_love? _ Shaking her head in confusion, Kayla stood up and stretched, only to gasp out and fall to her knees, her whole body shaking. "What?" She stuttered out.

* * *

So far, the Doctor wasn't enjoying the outing that had been forced on Rose and himself. Not only as he in a hospital that was way too advance, Rose had been taken over by a sheet of skin that was supposed to be dead. And, to make matters worse, the advanced hospital had an "Intensive Care" unit filled with people born sick with every single disease. All of these people were trapped in a small green room with tubes that put the sickly gas in, and now, the Doctor had joined them. He was, at that very moment, strapped to a chair starting to wake up. Standing at the door to insure the Doctor seeing her, was Rose/Cassandra.

"Let me out! Let me out!" the Doctor cried out, finally waking up from the forced sleep that Cassandra/Rose had put him into.

Cassandra/Rose smirked through the door, pleased to see the Doctor, the man who had killed her and ruined her plan, was helpless because of her. Oh how delicious victory was. "Aren't you lucky there was a spare? Standing room only." Her smirk widened as the Doctor stared at her in horror. Of course she had seen the Tyler girl's memories. She knew, without a doubt, that he wasn't as upset about his approaching doom, no, he was upset about not being able to say goodbye to the feared Time Agent, Kayla Hark.

* * *

Kayla's situation had gone from the bad she was at to worse. She couldn't move without extreme pain, and even if she could stand the pain, her entire body was shaking so badly that she wouldn't be able to move with or without the pain.

"T-TARDIS," she gasped out, "what's wrong with me?" As her answer, the TARDIS made a noise of sympathy. Around her, the library disappeared to a room made of soft carpet, prompting her to stay in her position. "T-Thanks." She managed to say.

* * *

Of course Cassandra had to put the entire hospital under quarantine just to get money. Only an idiot would release the sick people, but at least the Doctor was free, and he knew that Cassandra wouldn't let Rose's body get touched, then she would be without a host. The only thing that completely ruined the Doctor's barely thought out was that he and Cassandra/Rose were trapped.

"We're trapped! What're we going to do?" the Doctor suppressed a sigh at Rose's whiney voice.

"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body." Rose glared at the Doctor as he spoke.

How _different _he was from the last time they had met, yet _he _had mocked her for just a little…okay a lot of surgery. But she had changed, she wanted a body again. Okay, so she had taken the body of Rose to get back at the Doctor, but she had still changed, just not in a fully legal way, or one he would like, something that the Doctor pointed out as he waved his hand at the psychograft that she had used to change. "That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet! You're compressing Rose to death."

Cassandra/Rose shook her head, not disagreeing with the Doctor, just not liking what he was telling her to do, "But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead." She argued.

"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out." The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at her threateningly, completely prepared to do…something. "Give her back to me." He commanded.

Cassandra/Rose smirked, a delicious idea coming to her, "You asked for it." Cassandra turned into a cloud of light and jumped into the Doctor's body, returning Rose to her normal state.

"Blimey, my head..." Rose muttered, blinking around at the basement. Hadn't she been in there before…? Yes, yes of course she had Cassandra had taken over her body and…"Where'd she go...?" Rose asked, voicing her sudden thoughts. Behind her, she heard the familiar but not familiar voice.

"Oh, my. This is..."

* * *

"…different." Kayla finished, her heart beating unusually fast. Gone was the unneeded adrenaline rush, but now she felt…wrong. She felt like half of her was being compressed into a small box and the other half was being controlled by someone else. "Where is the money on here?" With a shake of her head, Kayla started to walk out of the carpeted room she was in when something caught her eye. "Oh dear lord this just won't do." She turned sharply to stare at her reflection, horrified.

* * *

Cassandra/the Doctor was running his hand down his body, completely mystified. "Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy." He raised his eyebrows at Rose in an expression that the blond hoped she would never see on him again. "You've thought so too. I've been inside your head..." he teasingly stepped forwards as Rose blushed, "You've been looking...you like it."

Suddenly, the zombie people came through the doors, making Rose and the Doctor jump violently.

"What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor- what the hell would he do?!" the Doctor asked frantically, looking more like a terrified cat than anything.

Rose, taking charge, spun around, looking for an escape route and seeing one in the form of a ladder. "Ladder...we've gotta get up." At the suggestion the Doctor shoved Rose out of the way to get to the ladder first. "Out of the way, Blondie!" he cried out as the zombie people came closer and closer.

* * *

Kayla was in the wardrobe, running her hands over the soft materials the clothes were made out of. She still felt wrong, very wrong, but when she had been strutting around the TARDIS, the stupid machine put her in the bloody wardrobe, and it wouldn't let her out! As always though, she, "made lemons out of lemonade" or however the stupid old earth saying went, and decided to look at _all _the clothes. As if the machine was alive, it would make very loud noises whenever she started to slip a shirt or jacket off of its hanger. She wasn't going to steal it, only take it…and not return it.

"Oh…what's this?" She muttered, pausing in her rifling to examine a long, multi-colored scarf. "This…this is hideous." She shook her head in agony at the fashion statement and in one swift movement, she took the scarf off its hanger and threw it deep into the wardrobe. Instantly, the TARDIS made large and loud angry noises, but Kayla ignored it. The TARDIS was just a machine, it couldn't be angry at her…could it?

* * *

"All our good work! All that healing!" Matron Casp cried out, holding onto Rose's ankle tightly.

The Doctor/Cassandra and Rose has been climbing the ladder to get away from the zombie people who were smart enough to follow after the two, forcing them to climb faster. Somehow, though, Matron Casp was leading the zombie people.

"The good name of the Sisterhood - you have destroyed everything!" She continued.

"Go and play with a ball of string." He said dismissively

"Everywhere - disease! This is the Human World. Sickness!" Matron Casp continued, obviously not agreeing with the Doctor, but she had been still too long. A female zombie person grabbed her ankle, making the cat scream out in agony as her body was covered with boils. Due to her pain, it was no surprise that she fell off the ladder. The zombie people climbing watched her fall. Once she was out of sight, they continued their journey upwards.

"Move!" Rose cried out. In front of her, the Doctor made a very unmanly whimpering noise and started to climb even faster than before.

* * *

Kayla felt _very _pleased with herself. Not only had she gotten out of the wardrobe room, but she had gotten some beautiful tops that the TARDIS made no noise against her taking. The machine also didn't seem to mind Kayla burning her trench coat, which, of course, she had done. Everyone knew that trench coats were _so _old Earth. Next was obviously her nonexistent makeup, once again, way too old Earth for her liking. With a haughty smile, she made for the wardrobe again, knowing that there was makeup there. She got as far as the door leading inside before a problem arose. That problem was the door being locked.

"What?" She muttered, trying the door just to be sure. It didn't budge of course. "Oh come on! I just wanted some makeup." She called out to no one.

"Why would you want some makeup now?" Startled, Kayla turned around to see, well, herself, only with the trench coat.

"Who are you?" She asked, taking in her twin.

Her twin smirked and raised her eyebrows, gloating about a secret that made Kayla's blood boil. "I'm the TARDIS." She hissed out, making sure to draw the 's' out.

"No you're not," Kayla scoffed, "the TARDIS is a machine, not an exact twin of me."

"And how would you know?" the woman questioned.

Kayla blinked and then swallowed, after a pause she answered, "I'm educated."

Instead of getting a nod of acceptance at her answer, the woman laughed. "Educated?" She laughed harder. "That's seriously you're answer?" Not letting Kayla answer, she continued to laugh. "My dear," she gasped out, "you, compared to me…" the thought was apparently too funny to the woman and she continued to laugh.

Kayla rolled her eyes when she felt something about the woman, and herself, change. Suddenly, she didn't feel so wrong or like she was being compressed. "Ohhhh...that's better." She stated, closing her eyes.

The woman, however, stopped laughing and became very serious. "Someone's tampering with my Thief." She growled out.

"Let me guess, your 'Thief' is my Doctor." Kayla suggested, looking at the woman who nodded.

"Oh Other Thief, it's been terrible! You haven't been yourself!" With a sad whimper, the woman disappeared, leaving Kayla alone.

* * *

The Doctor, no long with Cassandra hitching a ride with him or Rose, opened the doors to the lift directly in front of him and smiled at Rose. "Nice to have you back." He told her kindly, holding out his hand to her.

"No you don't..." The zombie woman/Cassandra said. Before the Doctor could stop her, she leapt back into Rose just as the blond got into the lift with the Doctor.

"That was your last warning, Cassandra!" the Doctor growled at her, sealing the doors.

Rose didn't react. Instead, she stared off into space and remained crouching on the floor. "Inside her head...they're so alone...they keep reaching out, just to hold us...all their lives and they've never been touched." She said softly, not a hint of anger in her voice.

The Doctor sighed deeply. No one, including Cassandra, deserved never get touched in anyway. To feel that feeling…despite all she had done to the Doctor and Rose, the Time Lord felt sorry for her. Without saying a word, he offered Rose his hand and she took it. Together, they walked out of the door in the lift, heading straight for Ward 26.

* * *

Kayla was curled up in her bed, crying softly to herself. For some reason, she was sad, horribly sad. She felt alone, and unneeded, and more importantly, she just wanted, preferably the Doctor, to snuggle with her.

The Doctor, having just let Cassandra die on her own terms, which was, oddly enough, being cradled by her past self.

With a cheery, completely not forced, wave at Rose, who had decided to go take a nap, the Doctor went through the TARDIS to Kayla's room. Excepting her to be asleep or doing something relaxing, the Doctor opened the door carefully. Instead he found Kayla sobbing horribly into the sheets that were curled up around her.

"Kayla!" the Doctor cried out, but she didn't let up from her crying. Worried, he hurried to her and sat down next to her. "Kayla what's wrong?" Once again, he got no answer.

Sitting there, the Doctor felt useless, and despite his gut and heart telling him to stay, the Doctor started to get up. "No…stay." Kayla croaked, so the Doctor listened. He got back onto the bed and curled up next to her. Without really thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around Kayla and held her while she sobbed.

* * *

_The TARDIS was just as exhausted as her Thief and the Flower, but she had to keep going. She had to keep the Flower busy so that the Thief and the Other Thief weren't interrupted. Yes, she knew what was wrong with the Other Thief, but she couldn't tell him. He had to find out the hard way, which meant by himself. But that would take a while, and many tears were going to be shed, especially with what was going to happen at…whatever that place is called. _

* * *

**I really tried on this, so I hope you guys liked it. **

**I don't know how many of you guys ever read, 'The Assassin of Time' book that was by me, but if you never did I have a bit of a treat for you, and if you did read it, then I hope you enjoy the sneak peak of it:**

The brief time she was dead was peaceful, but as always, she was thrown into pain as a fire swept through her lifeless body. In a matter of minutes, the woman with brown hair and green eyes was replaced by one that was ten years young. The brown hair she had had since she graduated was replaced with long blond hair with no gray in it. Her eyes, though closed, changed to gray, and her skin became just a tad bit tanner.

**And now, review time:**

**harleyrayxx: I know! A KISS!**

**fandomenforcer: It actually went pretty well, all things considering. **

**guest: Here it is!**


	4. Tooth and Claw Pt 1

A large group, a procession really, of Monks walked into a yard of an old manor house. A group of slightly drunk men, one of them being the Steward of the house, noticed the Monks and knew that Father Angelo, the worse of them all, was leading them. Of course the fact that the Monk walking towards him had taken his hood off which revealed that he was indeed Father Angelo helped.

With a weary sigh, the Steward got up from his stool and went over to meet the man, "Come now, Father. You should know better. You're not welcome here, and especially not today. I've got no time to start old arguments."

Father Angelo gave him a sharp look and repeated the words he had said many, many time before, "We want only one thing."

The Steward suppressed a groan. Once again, the Father was taking up this annoying argument, "And what would that be?" he asked, playing along with Angelo.

"This house." Angelo turned his sharp gaze to said house.

Following Angelo's gaze, the Steward looked at the house. Already the Father had changed up the argument. And now he was threating his house, which meant he was threatening his Master and his Master's wife! No, no this wouldn't do. But he had to be sure, otherwise he could have misunderstood Angelo. "You want the house?"

Father Angelo gave a small shake of his head, which filled the Steward with hope, but then it was crushed when he elaborated, "We will take the house."

The Steward, trying to appear more confident than he actually was, took on a sarcastic air, "Would you like my wife while you're at it?"

If Father Angelo was impressed by the Steward, he didn't show it, "If you won't stand aside, then we'll take it by force."

"By what power? The Hand of God?" the Steward asked skeptically.

Father Angelo turned his sharp, slightly unnatural gaze onto the Steward. And for the first time in the other man's life, he felt pure terror. Whatever Father Angelo was, he knew for certain that it _wasn't _a follower of Christ…or any God that the Steward was aware of.

"No. The Fist of Man."

The fist of man was a powerful thing indeed, and that was proven when the Steward felt the air get pushed out of him by the staff that was suddenly pushed into his stomach, which knocked him to the ground. With one well aimed kick, the Steward went flying to the other side of the yard, unable and probably unwilling to help.

While the Steward went flying, Father Angelo signaled at the other Monks, which prompted them to drop their cloaks down, revealing bright red clothes underneath. As one, the group swung their own staffs which baited all the men in the yard to come at them. Of course, the Monks won against the ill prepared, slightly drunk men. Which left the house, though it didn't know it, defenseless against the men, so they stormed the house. The maids in the kitchen were quickly captured by the Monks, and soon, the house fell as Sir Robert, the owner, was knocked out.

* * *

The Steward was one of the last to come to in the dingy cellar. He moved his hands warily and found that he was chained to the others, who he assumed to be the household staff. As he got his bearings, he started to look around when the sound of a door being wrenched open made him grow still. But thanks to the light that was brought in by the open door, he could see a bit better. That led him to glance slowly over to see the Lady of the House.

"My Lady?" He exclaimed.

Like his words were a cue, several of the Monks dragged a cage covered in a tarp in. They left it at the opposite end of the cellar…barn really. "What's in there? What is it, what's under the canvas?" the Steward asked, not really expecting an answer but still wanting one.

Father Angelo, who had followed the Monks into the barn, took a few steps towards the cage, staring at it as if enchanted by it. "Father, answer me. What's in there?" the Steward begged from the wall.

For once, Father Angelo turned and looked at the Steward. A haunted, terrified look in his eyes, "May God forgive me." In one swift movement, he and the Monks tore off the cover, revealing something so horrible that all the prisoners screamed in fear.

* * *

Spinning through the Time Vortex, inside the TARDIS everything was happy and perfect. The Doctor was busying himself with trying to find a CD while Rose and Kayla where getting ready for the 70's. Though the Doctor had only wanted Kayla to come with him, he was forced to bring the blond along when she had stumbled upon the two in the console room.

"Doctor you really need to work on the TARDIS later, she kept giving Rose and I the wrong clothes." Kayla called as she walked into the room, Rose behind her.

The Doctor, looking up, nearly choked on whatever spit was in his mouth. She looked…well…gorgeous, which wasn't a change, but _still! _She wore a pair of shorter than nessiary black shorts and a pale pink long sleeved shirt. The _large _amount of leg that was shown was barely covered up by a pair of pale pink high-tops. Behind her, Rose wore...something. To the Time Lord, Kayla was the only one who mattered at that moment.

Kayla, well aware of the Doctor's thoughts, blushed deeply and smiled at him. If the Doctor noticed it, he didn't show it, instead he just stared at her from his spot.

"Uh Doctor?" Kayla tried, but it was only after a long pause that the Doctor showed any signs of life by swallowing roughly.

"Right. Well, uh…" turning his back to the girls, the Doctor fiddled with a CD, trying to not think about how Kayla looked, or the faint pink that had risen to her skin at his gaze.

Rose, who had been watching the two interact, felt a stir of unwanted jealousy. Did she still love the Doctor…probably, but could she ever get him? The blond knew that answer, and whether she liked it or not, that answer was going to stay the same.

The Doctor smiled and started to wonder around the controls, making sure not to even glance at Kayla, "Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979." He stated, feeling more like a professor than just a casual speaker.

Kayla just gave a small grin as she watched her Doctor walk around giving a rather impromptu lesson on a band. A band that Rose apparently knew because she cried out with glee, "You're a Punk!"

"A what?" the brunet asked, but received no answer from Rose or the Doctor, the latter of the two starting a song.

"It's good to be a lunatic—" the Doctor sang, and for an ancient alien, he was a fairly good singer.

Rose was obviously over the moon about the Doctor being a 'punk,' though what that exactly was, Kayla didn't know. On a streak, the blond continued, "That's what you are. A big old Punk with a bit of Rockabillly thrown in."

Now, Kayla was completely lost, "Who are you talking about?" she asked the blond, having given up on the Doctor acknowledging her glances. Honestly, it was like she was naked or something!

Still trying, and basically failing, to completely ignore Kayla, the Doctor steeled himself…and then glanced over at the brunet.

* * *

After giving Kayla a very brief history in 1970's music, preferably 1979, the Doctor and Kayla skillfully flew the TARDIS to a David Bowie concert. Rose was perfectly fine with that, her mother had shoved every single 1970's British singers down her throat, and only a few of them, David Bowie being one of them, she actually liked.

"1979. Hell of a year!" the Doctor said once he and Kayla had landed the TARDIS with just a few problems, one of those sending Kayla to the floor with laughter. Helping her up and grabbing his jacket, the Doctor continued to speak, "China invades Vietnam...The Muppet Movie! Love that film. Margaret Thatcher...urgh...Skylab falls to Earth...with a little help from me...nearly took off my thumb."

Feeling a draft when he opened the door, the Doctor placed his arm around Kayla's waist and walked out with her, Rose trailing behind them as the Doctor continued to speak, "I like my thumb. I need my thumb. I'm very attached to..."

The Doctor wisely stopped talked as he noticed the soldiers on all sides, their guns raised at the group. Kayla reacted first. With a pained grimace, she held her hands up in the universal sign of surrender, though it was obvious she didn't enjoy the idea of being powerless. Rose and the Doctor, seeing Kayla's movement, followed suit, only they didn't look like they minded it.

"... my thumb." The Doctor finished his hanging sentence.

Those soldiers apparently had a thing against three people stepping out of a police box, whatever that was, two of the three people being females who were near nakedness, and the other one being a male that was talking about his thumb, because their guns all clicked ominously.

"1879. Same difference." The Doctor said once he realized when they were.

Kayla shook her head, "No it isn't." she scoffed, a half smile on her face.

The Captain of the soldiers was a wise man and for the whole time, he had kept silent and had made sure the men in his command didn't shoot the lad and lassies. Seeing an opportunity, the Captain spoke up in his heavy Scottish accent, "You will explain your presence. And the nakedness of these girls."

At the call out to their…less than appropriate outfits, Rose and Kayla glanced down at themselves and then back at the Captain.

The Doctor, however, said in an amazing fake accent, "Are we in Scotland?" Kayla just shook her head at the Doctor in amusement, though the situation was really against any humor, but the Doctor just shrugged and gave her a sheepish smile.

The Captain apparently felt the same, because he piped into the silent conversation that the Doctor and Kayla were having, "How can you be ignorant of that?"

Pulling himself from the silent conversation, the Doctor stuttered out, "Oh, I'm- I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing these...these wee naked children over hill and over dale. In't that right, ya... timorous beastie?"

Not even bothering with a fake accent, Kayla turned her body to face the Doctor's. A weary sigh escaped her lips, which were quirked up in a smile, and she shook her head, "Oh darling, don't lie to the nice men."

Flabbergasted, the Doctor just watched as Kayla gave the Captain and his soldiers a winning smile, "My husband and I were on an outing with my…sister, and I'm afraid you caught us changing." She gave a light laugh that sounded unnatural from her.

"Is that so?" the Captain's question was directed at the Doctor, who gave a feeble attempt of the nod, which somehow satisfied him because he asked another question, "Will you identify yourself, sir?"

Already having a name picked out, the Doctor delivered himself much better than before, "I'm Doctor James Harkness. From the…Township of Balamory. Eh...I have my credentials, if I may..." A nod was all the Doctor needed to put his hands down and take out his physic paper. Happily, Kayla and Rose did the same.

"As you can see, a Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. I trained under Doctor Bell himself." The Doctor told the men, showing them his paper as he did so.

From the carriage that the soldiers had been guarding, a female voice rang out. It was a voice filled with authority and power, and definitely was the one that called the orders. "Let them approach."

If the Captain was surprised by the order then he didn't show it, but he _did _argue with it, "I don't think that's wise, ma'am."

A slight pause followed the Captain's reply, and then the same order was repeated, "Let them approach."

The Doctor gestured to the carriage, and though he obviously didn't like it, the Captain had no choice but to let them approach it, "You will approach the carriage. And show all due deference." He called to them.

To show that he understood, the Doctor did some sort of salute that sent both girls into a fit of giggles. Though once one of the footmen opened the door to reveal Queen Victoria did they sober up.

"Kayla and Rose - might I introduce her Majesty Queen Victoria. Empress of India and Defender of the Faith." The Doctor said, giving a half bow. When he came back up, he was grinning broadly.

Kayla gave a curtsey at the Queen and smiled as sweetly as she could, "Kayla Harkness, you're highness. I am deeply sorry for being so naked. My sister and I…well, you must not care about that." Kayla gave another smile at the Queen who looked slightly thoughtful.

Wanting to be more involved with her community, Queen Victoria often read the reports from the police about disturbances. One had involved a man named Jack Harkness…could he and this Kayla woman be related?

Rose, slightly miffed at being introduced second, and at how distance the Queen seemed now, stepped forwards and also curtseyed, only hers was slightly less graceful, "Rose Tyler, Ma'am. And my apologies...for being so naked." She said with the same charm that Kayla had. But the Queen didn't even seem to care about her.

With a small shake of her head, the Queen dismissed her troubling thoughts and turned her head and attention to the Doctor, "I've had five daughters. It's nothing to me. But you, Doctor... show me these credentials." With her hand outstretched, the Doctor had no choice but to hand over his physic paper and hope she saw something good. The Queen studied the paper for a bit before speaking, "Why didn't you say so immediately? It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my Protector."

At that, the Doctor, Kayla, and Rose blinked in astonishment, but the Time Lord recovered first, having slightly expected that, "Does it? Yes, it does! Good! Good! Um…then let me ask - why is Your Majesty travelling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"

"A tree on the line." The Queen gave her "protector" a tight lipped smile.

"An accident?" the Doctor asked, clearly already knowing his answer.

The Queen kept her smile, though it faltered just a bit, "I am the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."

The Doctor nodded, and then asked yet another question he knew the answer too, "An assassination attempt?"

Kayla made a face of disgust and shook her head, "People shouldn't do that. You're there ruler."

"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun." The Queen added in, her gaze still solely on the Doctor.

During the exchange, the Captain had gotten onto his horse and kept his eyes on the three still horribly suspicious, "Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence. We'll send word ahead, he'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."

Nodding in a regal sort of manner, the Queen gestured towards the three, "This Doctor and his wife and their…timorous beastie will come with us." At their new names, all three of them grimaced in disgust and Rose started to fume silently.

"Yes, Ma'am. We'd better get moving - it's almost nightfall." The Captain agreed, though it was obvious that he didn't like the change in plan.

"Indeed. And there are stories of wolves in these parts. Fanciful tales intended to scare the children. But good for the blood, I think. Drive on!" She called ahead before closing the door to the carriage sharply.

The Doctor and Kayla grinned, and playing the part of a loving husband, the Doctor took her hand. Behind the two, Rose did her best to smile and look like a loving sister, but in reality, she just wanted to curl up in a ball, especially when she heard the Doctor and Kayla talking happily ahead of her, "It's sort of funny though, because when you think of 'assassination,' Queen Victoria doesn't come to mind…at all, really, no body from Earth comes to mind."

"1879 - she's had...oo...six attempts on her life? And I'll tell you something else: we just met Queen Victoria!" the Doctor clapped his hands excitedly, a large smile forming on his face.

"I just want her to say," pausing to focus, Kayla put on a high-class British accent, "'we are not amused.' Whenever Jack and I met someone famous, we used to get them say it." She smiled sadly.

Rose, seeing an opportunity, hurried forwards and placed a hand on Kayla's shoulder, trying her best to comfort her, "I bet you five quid I can make her say it." Clearly, Rose's cheering up sort of worked, because the brunet grinned just a bit more, but it was still obvious that she was still sad.

"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privileges of traveler in time." the Doctor added in, a twinkle in his eyes.

Rose chewed her lip, and then smiled, tongue in between her teeth and all, "...Ten quid?"

"Done." The Doctor said automatically, completely aware of Kayla's mode turning brighter at the joy radiating around her.

* * *

Sir Robert watched the carriage of Queen Victoria approach. His new, stony mask, was replaced by a look of unease and terror. He hated what the Monks wanted him to do, and once again, he made that very clear to Father Angelo, who he knew was in the room with him, "I can't do this. It's treason."

Father Angelo stepped forwards to make sure that the other man felt his presence when he spoke, "Then your wife will suffer the consequences. And believe me, Sir Robert...she will be devoured." Angelo took great pleasure when Sir Robert closed his eyes in helplessness.

* * *

Outside of the house, a footman opened the door of Victoria's carriage and helped her down. The door opened and Sir Robert, mask firmly in place, walked towards the Queen with Father Angelo behind him.

"Your Majesty." Robert bowed deeply.

"Sir Robert. My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?" At the mention of his wife, all of the blood drained out of Robert's face, but no one seemed to notice.

"She's…indisposed, I'm afraid - she's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her - the kitchens are barely stocked...I wouldn't blame Your Majesty if you wanted to ride on." It was perfectly clear to everyone, especially the three time travelers, that the man didn't want Queen Victoria at his house.

Though the Queen noticed Sir Robert's odd behavior, she didn't seem bother by it. Instead, she spoke in an oddly cheerful way, "Oh, not at all! I've had quite enough carriage exercise. And this is...charming. If rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate. Now, shall we go inside?" Sir Robert, still obviously reluctant gave a grim smile and gestured stiffly towards the door, but no one, especially the Queen, noticed, "And please excuse the naked girl."

Rose smiled sheepishly at the group, "Sorry." She muttered.

Kayla, however, held her head high despite how she was viewed by the others, "You must excuse my sister and I, we were changing when we came upon the Queen's carriage, and my husband was very eager to start his work protecting her."

Rose, getting a flash of inspiration, added in, "He thought it was funny but I am so not amused." She shot a pointed look at the Queen, "What do you think, Ma'am?"

Not picking up on the inside joke, the Queen just said, "It hardly matters. Shall we proceed?" Appearing to agree, Sir Robert nodded and they began to make their way to the house.

"So close." Rose hissed to the Doctor and Kayla, who both stifled their laughter.

* * *

While the guards secured the house and an odd, "property of the crown" box, Sir Robert showed the Torchwood Estate to the Queen. Finally, they made their way to the room that Sir Robert didn't love, which was the Observatory. Queen Victoria, Rose, Kayla, and the Doctor followed him into the room. Behind them, Father Angelo and two other Monks, all disguised as household staff, slipped in, seemingly unnoticed.

"This, I take it, is the famous Endeavour." Queen Victoria stated, turning her head slightly to take it all in.

Sir Robert nodded, "All my father's work. Built by hand in his final years. Became something of an obsession - he spent his money on this rather than caring for the house or himself." His voice took on a sour tone as he answered the Queen's question, and it was clear to all that he didn't like the topic they were on, but none of them changed it.

Really though, the Doctor was clueless. Somehow, despite the thick tension in the room, the Doctor smiled, "I wish I'd met him, I like him. That thing's beautiful - can I um...?" He gestured towards the odd telescope that sat in the middle of the room.

"Help yourself." At Sir Robert's offer, the Doctor, Rose, and Kayla moved forwards to examine the telescope and the rather large wheel next to it.

"What did he model it on?" the Doctor asked, still clueless to the tension in the room.

With a shake of his head, Sir Robert replied to the clueless man, "I know nothing about it. To be honest, most of us thought him a little...shall we say, eccentric." The Doctor gave him a dopey smile, "I wish now I'd spent more time with him. And listened to his stories." Despite the bitter tone that had invaded Sir Robert's voice when speaking about his father's obsession with the telescope before, he seemed happier now that they were talking just about the late man in general. Though he did glance at the Queen with an odd look when he got thinking about the stories his father told.

"It's a bit rubbish." Startled at how rude the man was, Sir Robert turned to see him looking through his father's telescope. Behind him, his wife and her sister both failed at hiding their laughter, "How many prisms has it got? Way too many. The magnification's gone right over the top, that's stupid kind of a—" Hearing himself, the Doctor turned to look at Kayla and whispered rather loudly to her, "Am I being rude again?"

Kayla grinned at him, "Yep."

Backtracking horribly, the Doctor said quickly, "But it's pretty! It's very...pretty." Kayla wrapped her arm around the Doctor's waist fondly while Rose patted the Time Lord's shoulder.

"And the imagination of it should be applauded." The Queen added in, still just looking at the telescope.

Standing next to the Doctor and Kayla, Rose smiled at the Queen, "Mm! Thought you might disapprove, Your Majesty. Stargazing. Isn't that a bit fanciful?" Queen Victoria just stared at the blond, "You could easily...not be amused, or something...? No?"

Shaking her head, the Queen gave Rose a curious look like she couldn't imagine what the blond was getting at, "This device surveys the infinite work of God." The Doctor shook his head at Rose, a smile ghosting his face. The smile grew even brighter as Kayla buried her face into his shoulder, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Completely confused by the three, Queen Victoria kept her gaze on Rose, "What could be finer? Sir Robert's father was an example to us all. A polymath. Steeped in astronomy and sciences, yet equally well versed in folklore and fairytales."

The Doctor smiled even more at the description of the man, which was very similar to himself, "Stars and magic. I like him more and more." Leaving it at that, the Doctor and Kayla started to wander around the telescope to examine it some more.

"Oh, my late husband enjoyed his company." She told the Doctor, and then directed her words to Rose, "Prince Albert himself was acquainted with many rural superstitions, coming as he did from Saxe Coburg."

At that moment, the Doctor and Kayla passed by Rose, which let the Time Lord whisper into Rose's ear, "That's Bavaria." And then the couple were gone and Rose was left in the uncomfortable conversation with the Queen.

Somehow feeling how comfortable Rose was, the Queen turned her back on the blond to speak to Sir Robert, "When Albert was told about your local wolf, he was transported."

Though the conversation was clearly not meant for him, the Doctor invited himself, and technically Kayla, into it, "So, what's this wolf, then?"

"It's just a story." Sir Robert said too quickly, which just made the Doctor and Kayla press for more information. Besides, they were about to hear a story!

"Then tell it." Kayla stated, though it was more of a command than anything.

Very uncomfortable with where the already risky conversation had headed Sir Robert spoke hauntingly, his gaze no longer on the others but on Father Angelo, who gave no signs on how to end the conversation, "It's said that—"

"Excuse me, sir. Perhaps her Majesty's party could repair to their rooms. It's almost dark." The obvious command in the 'servants' voice went unnoticed by all except for the time travelers.

"Of course. Yes, of course." Sir Robert replied quickly.

Queen Victoria, still happily oblivious to what was going on around her said, "And then supper. And...could we find some clothes for Miss Tyler and Ms. Harkness ? I'm tired of their nakedness."

Rose gave the Queen a pointed look, "It's not amusing, is it?"

Queen Victoria glanced around the group until she found Rose, but decided to ignore her statement. Instead, she turned back to Sir Robert while behind her, the Doctor muttered something and Kayla poked him in the chest.

"Sir Robert, your wife must've left some clothes. See to it. We shall dine at seven. And talk some more of this wolf. After all...there is a full moon tonight." The Queen seemed happy about that fact, unlike Sir Robert who looked like death itself could not be worse.

"So there is, Ma'am." Sir Robert managed to get out, and then gave an awkward bow while the Queen left the room followed by the others.

* * *

While the sun started to set over the house, Rose and Kayla were in a bedroom going through a wardrobe. Rose held up a brown dress she had found but immediately put it back due to Kayla's fit of laughter.

* * *

In the kitchens of the Torchwood house, the Monks were carefully brewing some sort of drink that involved mistletoe.

* * *

Holding up a frilly blouse to herself, Kayla and Rose started to laugh at the mere thought of Kayla wearing it, so she quickly put it back into the wardrobe.

* * *

Father Angelo, still playing the part as the helpful servant, gave out mugs to the soldiers standing guard.

* * *

Rose held a very pretty blue dress up to her body and twirled around, now understanding what Kayla had meant when she said that she felt like a princess when the brunet had found a crème colored dress with a lining of flowers.

* * *

Outside, the guards sipped the mugs that the kind Father Angelo had given them, unaware of the brew inside of it.

* * *

Rose placed her dress beside Kayla's on the bed and opened yet another wardrobe door. Kayla, who was sitting on a chair, jumped up at Rose's high pitched scream and ran over to see a young maid crouched inside. Her heavy breathing just grew heavier when she saw the two.

* * *

Like dominoes, the guards fell over, the effects of the brew taking over. The Monks hurried over and took their guns.

* * *

Rose and the maid sat together on the bed. Kayla had drawn the chair over to the bed and was currently sitting in it, all amusement forgotten as they listened to the terrified maid speak, "They came through the house. The incitements, they took the Steward and the Master. And my Lady." Rose squeezed the maid's hand consolingly while Kayla, who was horrible with comforting others, just reached over and patted the maid's shoulder.

"Listen - We've got a friend, he's called the Doctor - he'll know what to do. You've gotta come with me." Rose offered.

Despite the kind offer the maid seemed to get even worse, "Oh, but I can't, Miss."

Kayla, trying her best to sound kind, gave the girl a smile, "Can you tell us your name."

The maid gave the brunet a grateful look, somewhat appreciative of how orderly she was, "Flora." She muttered.

"Well Flora, we'll be safer downstairs, there are other people, soldiers and everything, and they can and will help us. Rose and I promise. Come on." Expecting Rose to get Flora to follow her, Kayla got up and headed to the door where she paused to fiddle with a small pocket in her shorts, she hadn't changed out of her 70's outfit, and pulled out a pistol. "It's bigger on the inside." She said off handily to Rose, which just made Flora gasp and make a cross motion at the "witchcraft."

Like any good Time Agent, Kayla knew how to scout well, and once she was happy with the coast, she headed out into the hallway with Rose holding Flora's hand behind her. They had rounded a corner when they saw the first sign of anything amiss. That sign was an unconscious guard.

"Oh, Miss. I did warn you!" Flora cried out, forgetting Kayla's silent instruction to keep quiet.

Rolling her eyes, Kayla knelt down and checked he man's pulse, "He's not dead, though he's definitely been drugged or something along the lines of that." The brunet muttered, her eyes tracing the body for any clues.

Flora was grabbed from behind by Father Angelo. She tried to let out a scream, but his hand stifled her attempts. Kayla, having noticed the whole thing but didn't react, jumped up and tried to fire her gun but one of the Monks grabbed her wrist and sent the gun clatter to the floor. Much like Flora, she and Rose were dragged away. Another of the Monks grabbed the guard's body and carried it away while Father Angelo, pocketing Kayla's gun, went through a door that led to the dining room.

* * *

The Doctor, Queen Victoria, Sir Robert, and Captain Reynolds, the latter of the group had introduced himself upon arrival, where all gathered in the dining room when Father Angelo walked in…_without _Kayla and Rose, "Your wife and her sister begs an apology, Doctor. Their clothing has somewhat delayed them." He said stiffly.

The Doctor, still doing the Scottish accent, just smiled to hide his worry, "Oh, that's all right. Save her a wee bit of ham."

The Queen made some quip about Kayla and Rose being able to eat the food raw by how feral they had appeared to her, but the Doctor was caught up in look at the badly concealed bulge that Father Angelo had. The more he studied it, the more he realized that it looked an awful lot like a pistol, and the only person who had a gun like that was…_Kayla._

Thinking it was nothing, the Doctor shook his head and drove himself into the ongoing conversation.

* * *

Rose, Kayla, and Flora joined the chained up house staff and Lady Isobel.

"Don't make a sound. They said if we scream or shout, then he will slaughter us." Isobel whispered to Kayla and Rose, referring to the man sitting in a cage in the middle of the barn.

"But...he's in a cage. He's a prisoner. He's the same as us." Rose argued.

Lady Isobel shook her head, pure terror filling her entire body, "He's nothing like us. That creature is not mortal."

The man in the cage raised his head slowly and opened his eyes, which were completely back. The household staff and Lady Isobel whimpered uncomfortably, but Kayla and Rose just stared, Kayla unimpressed but Rose was terrified.

* * *

**I really like this episode, I don't know why but I do. **

**Thanks to everyone who has favorited/reviewed/followed that really makes me happy.**

**Now for review time:**

**Aka-Baka Hoschi: Thanks! **


	5. Tooth and Claw Pt 2

Sir Robert sat down at the dining table and started to tell the sad story his father had been addicted to, to put it bluntly, "The story goes back three hundred years. Every full moon, the howling rings through the valley. The next morning, livestock is found ripped apart and…devoured."

Captain Reynolds leaned back in his chair, the perfect picture of ease, "Tales like this just disguise the work of thieves. Steal a sheep and blame a wolf, simple as that." Queen Victoria looked mildly irritated at the interruption.

"But sometimes a child goes missing. Once in a generation. A boy will vanish from his homestead." Sir Robert continued, a frown growing on his face.

The Doctor tried to pay attention to the story, but struggled as Kayla and Rose continued to not show up.

* * *

In the barn, Kayla and Rose, the latter somewhat reluctantly, stood up.

"Don't, child." Lady Isobel pleaded, but they both ignored her.

Kayla and Rose made their way towards the man, trying their best not to let the chains rattle, but they did anyways. When the chains wouldn't let them move any further, Rose and Kayla knelt in front of the cage.

"Who are you?" Rose asked softly, kindly.

Behind the girls, the Steward, having been quiet throughout the entire affair, called out in a whisper, "Don't enrage him."

Kayla, all business as usual, spoke with less kindness than Rose in her voice, but it was equally as quiet, "What species are you? What plant of origin are you from?" At how cold she was, the Steward and the others quaked at the rage that was sure to happen, but it never did.

Instead, the man smirked at Kayla, "Ohhh...intelligence..." he hissed out, not even bothering to answer her question because he knew full well that she could do nothing but threaten, it was all bark but no bite with her.

"Where were you born?" Kayla barked out the question, it was hardly a whisper, but it was quiet enough that the Monks didn't hear her. To the prisoners though, it sounded far too loud and they instantly turned their heads to look at the door, but it never opened.

"This body...ten miles away...a weakling, heartsick boy. Stolen away at night by the brethren from my cultivation. I carved out his soul and sat in his heart." The man shook his head at Kayla in fake wonder.

"You didn't answer the question." Kayla hissed at the man. Forgetting the chains, she lunged forwards a bit but the rattling stopped her.

The man never blinked at the show before him, in fact, he had never blinked ever since he had opened his eyes, it was like he had forgotten how to close his eyes, so he just kept them open. And for once, he replied to Kayla's question, "Oh but I did."

* * *

Despite how worried he was, the Doctor had gotten into the story well enough, and as time passed, he started to forget about Kayla and Rose, they probably weren't in trouble, "Are there descriptions of the creature?" the Doctor asked, his Scottish accent still strong.

Sir Robert, pleased that the other were listening, nodded, "Oh yes, Doctor. Drawings and woodcarvings. And it's not merely a wolf. It's more than that. This is a man who becomes an animal."

The Doctor leaned forwards, slightly excited, slightly not, "A werewolf?"

* * *

Kayla was still grilling the man, completely ignoring Rose's and the others discomfort at the hard tone in her voice, "You're body's human but what are you really? What creature would be so heartless to hide inside a mere child?"

"So far from home." The man, a host of some sort, whispered.

"What? Is hiding in children a tradition from your planet? Would you like to go home?" Kayla raised an eyebrow at the Host, who smirked at her.

"Why would I leave this place? A world of industry, of workforce and warfare. I could turn it to such purpose." The Host titled his head at her in a questioning manner.

Kayla sighed, she felt like she wasn't getting anywhere with the thing, though he had answered her question, maybe he would answer her next one too, "In case you didn't know, you're not in charge…oh that's clever." The brunet stared evenly at the creature.

Rose, who was barely following the conversation, which was better than the household staff, who were all horribly confused and scared, "What?" Rose whispered to Kayla.

Kayla, smirking ever-so-slightly, turned to speak to the blond in a hushed tone, "He's going to go after Queen Victoria." A question rising in her mind, she turned back to the Host to hiss, "But how? How would you become in charge?"

"With one bite, I would pass into her blood. And then it begins. The Empire of the Wolf! So many questions..." He lunged forwards suddenly, making the prisoners, Rose, and Kayla jump, but only the prisoners and Rose gasped. The Host raised one barely crooked finger and pointed it at Rose and Kayla, "Look! Inside your eyes! You've both seen it too!"

"Seen what?" Rose asked sharply.

The Host, getting more and more excited, seemed to rock back and forth in his cage, look like some alien creature, which he was, "The Wolf! There is something of the Wolf about you!"

Kayla, recognizing what the Host was talking about, shivered deeply at the mere memory of what Rose had looked like when she had looked into the TARDIS.

Feeling the shiver like she had done it herself, Rose glanced over at the brunet and was shocked to see that she looked terrified. She was pale, though that might have just been the moon light.

"Where?" Rose was even more shocked when she heard the tremor of fear in Kayla's voice, "Where did you learn about that."

Not bothering to answer the question, the Host continued to rock back and forth while the moon continued to climb steadily in the sky, "You burnt like the sun, but all I require is the moon."

* * *

Sir Robert was still telling the story to the enamored Doctor, Captain Reynolds, and Queen Victoria, "My father didn't treat it as a story. He said it was fact. He even claimed to have communed with the beast - to have learned its purpose." Not even bothering to listen to the story, Father Angelo looked out the window and watched the moon rise steadily, "I should've listened." Sir Robert continued, sounding very regretful about his miss.

The Doctor, who had shivered just a bit for some odd reason, picked up on something being wrong,and leaned forwards ever so slightly and listened to the hushed voice of Sir Robert, "His work was hindered - he made enemies. There's a Monastery in the Glen of Saint Catherine. The Brethren opposed my father's investigations."

Not picking up on the trouble, Queen Victoria said in her ever regal manner, "Perhaps they thought his work ungodly."

Sir Robert shook his head, "That's what I thought. But now I wonder...what if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet?"

The Doctor was having a hard time paying attention to Sir Robert. It wasn't that whatever he was saying wasn't interesting, it was far from that, it was just that Father Angelo was so interesting. First the pistol shaped bulge in his pocket, which was still there, but now he was staring at the moon and muttering in Latin! As the Doctor made his ears listening to the man, he could barely make out 'Lupus…' but the rest was a mystery to him.

"That's what I thought." Sir Robert suddenly replied to Queen Victoria, is hushed voice getting more intense, "But now I wonder...what if they had a different reason for wanting the story kept quiet?" The man glanced around the room and leaned in even more, "What if they turned from God and worshipped the wolf?"

It all fell into place in the Doctor's mind, and he, barely wanting to believe the words coming out of his mouth, stated, "And what if they were with us right now?"

* * *

The doors of the barn were thrown open to allow the moonlight to flood in. Like a giant wave, it cascaded over everything, especially the Host's cage. Like the thing had said before, he needed moonlight, he lived for it, and that was shown by the blissful smile that spread across his face. He pressed his face against the bars of the cage and closed his eyes, "Moonlight..." he hissed out.

At the disturbing display, the prisoners shifted around uncomfortably, definitely out of their comfort zone.

The Host was still in its trance. He stiffly shed his cloak, and despite the freezing wind that blew through the cellar, he didn't shiver. Instead, he grasped the bars of the cage.

Kayla and Rose, though slightly scared, took charge of the situation. While Rose calmed the staff down, Kayla struggled to go through her pockets and cursed violently when she found nothing to pick a lock.

"Come on! With me! Pull!" Rose cried out, and Kayla, seeing no other option, joined her, but no one else did. Instead the staff and Lady Isobel stared at the cage in horror, terrified of the growling sounds that were emitting from it, "I said pull! Stop your whining and listen to me! All of you! And that means you, your Ladyship! Now come on - pull!"

Kayla blinked at Rose, "Uh Rose, you might want to tone it down." She suggested softly, and then giggled when Rose stuck her tongue out at her.

Soon though, all the prisoners were pulling at the chain, trying the hardest to get it out of the wall.

* * *

Father Angelo, Kayla's pistol no long in his possession but in a certain Time Lord's, was still chanting while the room fell apart behind him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Queen Victoria cried out, her voice demanding attention in a way that only a queen's could.

Captain Reynolds, taking the more practical approach, pointed his gun at Sir Robert's head, "Explain yourself, Sir Robert!" he ordered.

"What's happening—" Queen Victoria started, but Sir Robert cut her off,

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, they've got my wife." At Sir Robert's words, Reynolds lowered his gun, confused about who was a threat.

More than just merely concerned, the Doctor yelled at Father Angelo, his Scottish accent long forgotten, "Kayla! Where's Kayla? Where is she?!" Despite how loud the Doctor was, the Father continued to speak, so the Time Lord, still holding Kayla's pistol, turned with a crazed look in his eyes, "Sir Robert - come on!" They both ran from the room, leaving Captain Reynolds to point his gun at Father Angelo.

* * *

Despite how loud a transformation to a werewolf was, it was slower than Kayla expected. By the time that they had anything to fear, the chain was a lot loser and nearing its removal. Pausing just for a small second, Kayla glanced over her shoulder to see the skin of the Host bulging horribly, giving him every right to scream as loud as he was. Turning away from the sickening sight, she called out to the others, "On three! One…two…three...PULL!"

As one, the prisoners tugged with all their might, the loud growls egging them on.

"Again! One…two…three…NOW!"

* * *

Captain Reynolds glared at Father Angelo, his gun pointed directly at the crazed Father's head, "Tell me, sir. I demand to know your intention!"

"Lupus deus est. Lupus deus est. Lu—" Father Angelo continued, not even bothered by the large gun pointed at him.

"What is it that you want?" Captain Reynolds called out.

Finally, Father Angelo stopped his chanting, making the room deathly quiet. He turned slowly to face Captain Reynolds and spoke two words that made Queen Victoria gasp, "The throne."

With his growl hanging in the air, he attacked! In one movement, he wrenched Captain Reynolds's gun aside and hit the man. Behind them, Queen Victoria's eyes widened.

* * *

The Doctor and Sir Robert ran down a corridor, both heading to save their…lover, or whatever he and Kayla were.

* * *

The transformation finished way too quickly for the prisoner's liking. While they were still struggling with the chain, the werewolf growled long and low and flexed his claws, every bit of a nightmare in action.

"One, two, three, PULL!" Kayla screamed out, and thankfully, terror from the beast behind them giving them strength, the chain pulled out…and the men arrived.

"Where the hell have you been?" Rose yelled at him.

Despite the situation they were in, the Doctor thought it was a great idea to stop and stare at the werewolf like it was an amazing thing, which it could be considered that if it wasn't trying to kill everyone, "Oh, that's beautiful!" the Doctor muttered, watching as the werewolf grasped the bars firmly.

Realizing that the Doctor would be of no help, Sir Robert hissed to his terrified wife, "Get out!"

The household staffed plus Kayla and Rose clambered for the stairs just as the wolf broke the now bended bars and threw the cage off to a corner. The Doctor finally came to his senses and turned back to the frantic staff.

"Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor cried, waving his arms in a chicken like way as he ushered them away from the freed wolf.

Kayla groaned and pushed Rose up the stairs. When the blond turned back to argue, Kayla gave her a glare that made her scurry away. With a sigh, she turned back to the Doctor and kissed him deeply, nearly forgetting their horrible situation.

The Doctor was the one to pull back, though it wasn't by choice. He could have spent the whole night in the cellar just kissing Kayla, but when the werewolf, who was already standing up, threw the top of his cage at the couple, the Time Lord figured it was best to move on. Making a run for it, they ran up the stairs and slammed the door. Kayla leaned against a wall, gasping for breath while the Doctor quickly locked the door and pulled her with him. Behind them, the wolf, tall and pale like the moon, raised his head and howled out one long, clear note.

* * *

Though the Queen could have run away, she decided to stay in the dining room with Father Angelo. No awkward seconds passed between the two. Instead they faced each other from across the table, "I take it, sir, that you halted my train to bring me here?" Queen Victoria asked.

Father Angelo titled his head and smirked at the Queen, "We have waited so long for one of your journeys to coincide with the moon."

"Then you have waited in vain. After six attempts on my life..." With shaking hands, she drew out a small gun from her handbag and pointed it at the crazed Father, her hands still shaking despite her attempts to stop them, "... I am hardly unprepared." She continued.

Like before, Angelo didn't seemed upset by the gun pointed at his head. In fact, he was quite the opposite. He was smiling, the nerve, "Oh, I don't think so, woman."

This time, it was the Queen who smirked, "The correct form of address is 'Your Majesty.'" Wanting that to be the last thing Father Angelo heard, she pulled the trigger.

* * *

The Steward handed out guns to all the men in household staff, "Arms...and your strife...ready everyone?" When the men gave him a nod, he turned to look at Lady Isobel, "Take the girls. Get them out through the kitchen."

Not doing what the Steward had ordered her just yet, Lady Isobel approached her husband, "I can't leave you. What will you do?" she asked him, an unhidden spark of worry in her gaze.

"I must defend her Majesty. Now, don't think of me - just go." At her husband's words, Lady Isobel nodded and then, much to the man's surprised, she kissed him. But as soon as he realized just what was happening, she was gone, gathering her maids with a cry of,

"All of you at my side, come on!" She pulled them through the kitchens.

Kayla, having insisted that Rose be relieved of the handcuffs first, tried not to smack the Doctor for talking so quickly about things that Kayla just didn't care about, "It could be any form of light modulated species triggered by specific wavelengths - did it say what it wanted?"

Rolling her eyes, the brunet answered, "What all crazy things want, power." Nodding at the wisdom at that, the Doctor gingerly removed the handcuffs and sadly looked down at her red wrists.

Ending the sweet moment before it could start, a thumping noise sounded from the cellars and the couple looked around, confused. Being brave, or stupid, the Doctor crept around the corner to see that his worse fears had been answered. The wolf had managed to knock down the door and was standing over it. A symbolic moment happened as the Doctor and the Wolf stared at each other for a few minutes before the werewolf ended the pause by growling. Seeing the danger, the Doctor ran back into the room and grabbed Kayla's hand and dragged her behind the line of men with guns where Rose stood, waiting.

"Fire!" the Steward ordered as the wolf rounded the corner. Despite all the bullets that hit the animal, it only stumbled a few steps back, "Fire!" Rose flinched at the noise as the men fired again.

* * *

Lady Isobel and her maids ran through the many doors to the kitchen. Still in charge, Isobel crossed the room and tried the door, but it didn't open, "It won't open - they've sealed us in."

Flora, looking around the room cried out in horror, "Oh, my Lady - look!" Following the hysteric maid's gaze, Lady Isobel was met with the horrible sight of the Monks, having surrounded the house, pointed their guns at the defenseless building, "They'll never let us out. They mean for us to die!" Flora continued.

"Don't say that, Flora!" Lady Isobel ordered, trying not believe what the maid had said herself.

* * *

By the time that the room was filled with smoke from the firing squad, the wolf had disappeared, probably dead due to all the bullets that had been shot…at least, that's what all the men except for the Doctor, Kayla, and Rose thought, "All right, you men, we should retreat upstairs, come with me." The Doctor said decidedly, trying to take charge.

The Steward, however, shook his head, "I'll not retreat. The battle's done. There's no creature on God's Earth that could survive such an assault."

Having seen enough death, Kayla glared at the man so hard that he squirmed and the Doctor placed a hand on her shoulder, "You ARE coming upstairs right now or I swear I will drag you up stairs myself, and yes, that is me telling you to do something."

"And I'm telling you, ma'am, that I will sleep well tonight with that thing's hide upon my wall." Content with that, he strode across the room to look around the corner, checking to see if the wolf was still there. Behind him, the Doctor and Kayla watched him intently, a mixture of anger and confusion in their gaze, and despite how tough she had acted, Kayla slipped her hand into the Doctor's.

Smirking even more than when he had left, the Steward stalked back to the others, saying, "Must've crawled away to die—" A large paw swooped down and lifted the Steward clean through the ceiling. Soon, the sound of him being devoured reached the group's ears.

"There's nothing we can do!" The Doctor cried out. Without waiting for anyone but Rose, he ran with Kayla away from the room, well aware of a lot of the firing squad standing frozen behind them, and even more aware of the wolf devouring them wholeheartedly.

* * *

Lady Isobel and the maids listened to the commotion with fear in their eyes.

"Did they kill it?" Flora finally whispered, but no one answered her question due to the fact that they truly did not know.

Hearing something that no one else heard, Lady Isobel drew back into the corner of the room, the others followed her. Soon, she had them all wrapped within her protective arms as they crouched down, their eyes on the doorway. Only a few seconds passed before the werewolf appeared in the doorway, but all he did was sniff and then walk on. Shocked, Isobel looked around the empty room, wondering what could have made the wolf move on.

* * *

In the study, Queen Victoria opened a safe and removed her precious wooden box. Quickly, she stashed it away in her handbag.

* * *

Sir Robert, Rose, the Doctor, and Kayla hurried into a room. Due to the Time Lord, the door was slammed shut and locked with his sonic.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Sir Robert cried, hopping that she was somewhere near.

Queen Victoria, hearing the cry, came down the stairs, her eyes wide with fear, "Sir Robert! What's happening?"

Drawing Kayla with him, the Doctor ran off, leaving Rose soured face at the ideas where her mind had gone to.

Unaware of the Doctor and Kayla leaving, Queen Victoria continued, "I heard such terrible noises."

"Your Majesty - we've got to get out. But what of Father Angelo? Is he still here?" worriedly, he glanced around at the room, as if he expected the man to jump out from behind a curtain.

Queen Victoria gave him a small smile, as if something about what had happened to the crazed Father amused her, "Captain Reynolds disposed of him." She answered shortly.

Slightly breathless, the Doctor returned with Kayla, "The front door's no good, it's been boarded shut. Pardon me, Your Majesty - you'll have to leg it out of a window." He gestured through a door, and the Queen obliged, her head held high the entire time. Sir Robert, Kayla, and the Doctor followed her and found themselves in a small room.

"Excuse my manners, Ma'am, but I shall go first, the better to assist Her Majesty's egress." Sir Robert said formally, obviously laying it thick on the Queen.

"A noble sentiment, my Sir Walter Raleigh." Queen Victoria replied.

Sighing in annoyance, Kayla glanced over at the Doctor, who looked just as annoyed as Kayla, "Yeah, any chance you could hurry up?" He asked bluntly.

Doing what the Time Lord said, Sir Robert climbed out onto the window sill but had to immediately dodge out of the way from the bullets that the Monks shot at him. The Doctor, having not expected that, stared at the window in shock. But Kayla just sighed and scratched the back of her neck.

"Well, sorry to tell you this your Majesty, but they aren't letting you leave." Kayla stated calmly to the Queen once Sir Robert had gotten back into the room.

Outraged at the idea, the Queen lifted her head haughtily, "Do they know who I am?" She question, as if that would make them suddenly bow down to her.

"Yeah, that's why they want ya. The wolf's lined you up for a...a biting." Rose called from the doorway, having decided to see why she had heard gunshots.

The Queen shook her head, not wanting to believe the blond, "Now, stop this talk. There can't be an actual wolf."

No sooner had the words left her mouth when a loud, long howl rang through the house. Spinning around, the group, including the frightened Queen, dashed to the stairs, Kayla and the Doctor leading the group. Turning down a hallway, they could clearly see the wolf battering on the door.

"What do we do?" Rose asked quickly. Despite their horrible predicament, she seemed much too excited and happy about their sure deaths, something which did not please Queen Victoria.

Kayla gave Rose a slightly breathless smile, "What we always do…run."

For some reason, probably because there was a WOLF about to kill them, Rose did not like Kayla and the Doctor's "plan." Half shouting, Rose cried out, "Is that it?!"

Shrugging, Kayla asked simply, "Well do you have any silver bullets?"

"Not on me, no!" Rose shouted, making Kayla just raise her eyebrows.

The Doctor, having listened to the whole exchange, stepped into the discussion, "There we are then, we run. Your Majesty, as a Doctor, I recommend a vigorous jog." Just to make sure that she knew what to do, he jogged, or ran, in place, "Good for the health. Come on!"

Knowing that Kayla wouldn't mind, he grabbed the Queen's hand and led her from the room. The group ran up the stairs as quickly as they could, but they were apparently too slow because they heard the door breaking down and the wolf bounding up behind them.

"Come on! Come on!" the Doctor shouted to the other, trying to get them to run faster.

Having finally reached the top of the long staircase, they ran down a corridor, the sound of the wolf's paws egging them on. Despite how quick they were, the wolf was about to pounce when Captain Reynolds, who had long since left the group, reappeared holding a gun. He shoot, causing the wolf to reel backwards down the corridor. Ducking behind the corner, the Captain glanced at the others, who were all panting and using the wall to support themselves.

"I'll take this position and hold it. You keep moving, for God's sake! Your Majesty - I went to look for the property, it was taken. The chest was empty." He gave the Queen a worried, secret filled look.

Knowing exactly what he was talking about, the Queen nodded, "I have it. It's safe."

Releasing a breath he hadn't known he was holding, the Captain ordered, "Then remove yourself, Ma'am. Doctor, you stand as Her Majesty's Protector. And you, Sir Robert - you're a traitor to the crown." Letting that sink into the tired group, he coked his gun.

Realizing what he was going to do at the same time, the Doctor and Kayla both stated softly, "Bullets can't stop it."

"They'll buy you time. Now, run!" He gave the two a look that made it clear he knew what was going to happen to him.

While he positioned himself at the end of the corridor, Queen Victoria and Sir Robert both started to run, and finally, the Doctor and Rose did. But Kayla waited for only a few seconds, than she ran too. Pausing at the doorway to what appeared to be the library, Kayla turned back to see the final stand of Captain Reynolds. Wincing in pain, she hurried in and buried her face into the Doctor's willing shoulder, having not seen Reynolds but a different Captain, one named Jack.

* * *

Despite claiming she was fine, Kayla Hark did not seem in the least bit to be fine, but when Sir Robert had needed more than Rose's help to barricade the doors, she had all but pushed the Doctor over since it was obvious that Queen Victoria wouldn't be helping.

Being a Time Lord, the Doctor heard the wolf first, "Wait a minute, shh, shh, wait a minute..." the wolf howled out, breaking the silence that had fallen, "It's stopped." He quickly drew a chair over and stood on it, his ear pressed uncomfortably tight against the door, but he didn't care. Instead, he focused on the sound of the wolf sniffing the door, and then growling. Waiting for it to start to break down the door, the Doctor was shocked to hear it pad softly away.

Still on the chair, the Doctor announced to the group, "It's gone."

Right when he had said that, footsteps started up from around the outside of the room.

"Shh…" Kayla hissed out, no color at all in her face.

The Doctor, seeing that Kayla stilled needed him, quietly climbed down from the chair and went over to her. Like a child, she reached out to him, her arms outstretched. Sitting down next to her, Kayla wrapped her arms around the Doctor's neck. The Time Lord was just getting comfortable when…"Is this the only door?" he asked suddenly, a horrible thought coming to him.

"Yes. No!" Sir Robert and Rose dashed to the other door and barricaded it shut.

Queen Victoria, shaking violently, sat down on a chair near the Doctor and Kayla's sofa, and studied them openly, but if the couple didn't like that, they didn't show it.

The sounds that the werewolf made only continued, making the minutes that passed by tense and worried filled. And then, like a light dimming out, they stopped and the wolf padded away.

"What's stopping it?" Kayla wondered aloud to the Time Lord comforting her.

The Doctor shrugged weakly, "Something inside this room." The Doctor told her, just as confused as she was.

Sitting down in one of the chairs barricading his door, Sir Robert placed his head in his hands.

The Doctor, still confused, asked to the room at large, "What is it? Why can't it get in?" Mimicking his shrug from earlier, Kayla and the Doctor stood up and grinned at the Time Lord.

"I don't know, I'll tell you what, though..." She grinned even more when the Doctor asked,

"What?"

Understanding what Kayla was getting at, Rose grinned just as broadly as Kayla, "Werewolf...!" They cried out in unison.

Starting to smile just like the other two, the Doctor exclaimed, "I know!" Half laughing, the Doctor threw his arms around Kayla, and the brunet did the same with the Time Lord, "You all right?" he asked her kindly, and she nodded, "And you?" He asked Rose.

Rose nodded, a slightly forced smile replacing the one she was wearing earlier, "I'm okay, yeah!" Kayla winced at how…fake the blond sounded.

Queen Victoria, having watched the whole exchange, stared at the three, wide eyed. Before she could say anything about their horrible reaction to their situation, Sir Robert said meekly from behind them, "I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's all my fault. I should've sent you away. I tried to suggest something was wrong, I...thought you might notice. Did you think there was nothing strange about my household staff?"

Though the question wasn't meant for him, the Doctor still said, "Well, they were bald, athletic...your wife's away, I just thought you were happy."

Sighing at how rude the Doctor was, Kayla punched his shoulder lightly as Rose said to the Queen, "I'll tell you what though, Ma'am, I bet you're not amused now."

Beyond angry, the Queen spat out, "Do you think this is funny?" Holding herself like the queen she was, Victoria stepped forwards, and despite being shorter than Rose, somehow she made Rose feel like she was looking up at her and now down.

Having not expected the Queen to react like that, Rose whispered out, "No, Ma'am, I'm sorry."

Still enraged, Queen Victoria continued, "What, exactly, I pray someone please - what exactly is that creature?"

Scratching his head awkwardly, the Doctor muttered, "You'd call it a werewolf, but technically it's a more of a lupine wavelength haemovariform."

Knowing that no one could understand that, Kayla supplied, "Werwolf."

"And should I trust you, sir? You who change your voice so easily? What happened to your accent?" Queen Victoria hissed out, completely ignoring Kayla's statement.

The Doctor let out a groan when he realized his blunder. He had, due to all the chaos, dropped his Scottish accent completely, "Oh...right, sorry—"

Cutting him off before he could finish his sure to be awkward apology, Queen Victoria spat out,"I'll not have it. No, sir - not you...not that thing...none of it. This is not my world." In complete denial, the Queen turned away from the others and sat regally down onto a chair.

* * *

Lady Isobel stood in the kitchen, looking out at the moon, which was high in the sky, and the Monks. Despite that no of the people trapped in the house were trying to escape, they still had their guns poised to shoot and…this is what made Isobel wonder, garlands of mistletoe were looped around their necks in a sort of necklace.

Turning away from the window, Lady Isobel thought aloud, "Mistletoe...they're all garlanded in mistletoe and the wolf doesn't attack them. Who brought this into the kitchen?" She glanced around the room, speaking about the mistletoe that had arrived in the kitchen.

"It must've been the Brethren." Flora supplied, also glancing around the room.

Starting to realize what the mistletoe would do, Lady Isobel ordered, "Gather it up. Quickly. Every last scrap!" Quickly, the maids gathered up the scraps on the floor, "Quick, now." Just as fast as before, the maids threw their scraps onto the kitchen table, not knowing what Isobel had planned out, but none the less, they trust her.

* * *

Starting to come to the same conclusion as Lady Isobel, the Doctor and Kayla studied the woodwork of the library, especially the carving of mistletoe on the door, that, that they studied.

"Sir Robert, did your father put that there?" Kayla asked the shaken man.

Sir Robert, who had been sitting listlessly in a chair, glanced over at the brunet, "I don't know, I suppose..."

Thinking aloud, the Doctor studied the door even more, an idea forming in his hand, "On the other door, too...a carving wouldn't be enough…I wonder..." Before Kayla could stop him, the Doctor licked the wood, making the brunet grimace, "Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe - it's been worked into the wood like a varnish! How clever was your dad? I love him!"

To Rose and Kayla, the Doctor stated, "Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins."

"So the wolfs allergic to it." Kayla said.

The Doctor shook his head, "Well, it thinks it is. The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things."

Starting to listen to the conversation Sir Robert said, "Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon."

The Doctor nearly laughed at what Sir Robert had said, "Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?"

Kayla shook her head, "Doctor, don't be so rude." She muttered to the Time Lord.

"Good. I meant that one." The Doctor told her, not even bothering to keep his voice low. Ignoring her protests, something about being guests, the Doctor strode across the room to the book shelves, "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world." Knowing that he looked very cool to the others, he snapped his glasses into place. Of course, one glass was all it took for Kayla to burst into laughter, and even Rose giggled just a bit.

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor continued, "This room's the greatest arsenal we could have." Pulling some books off the shelf, and, slightly annoyed, he threw the books to Kayla and Rose just a bit more roughly than he had intended, "Arm yourself." He ordered.

* * *

The maids had never been more shocked. Lady Isobel, who had always ordered and, on the rare occasion, helped out, was working as hard, maybe twice, as the others. Her knife went down quicker on the mistletoe than the others, and her back often turned to throw in her chopped goods into a pot filled with boiling water.

"No sound of the wolf, my Lady. Perhaps it's gone." Flora said hopefully.

Lady Isobel, however nearly laughed at young, naïve, Flora, "Perhaps it's toying with us. But my husband's up there. And if there's any chance he's still alive, then by God, I'll assist him." Seeing the wisdom in that statement, Flora nodded.

* * *

Though Rose and Kayla had laughed at the Doctor trying to appear cool, they flipped through the books just as frantically as Sir Robert and the Time Lord were. The only person not helping was Queen Victoria, who was still sitting in her chair. Since the Doctor was calling the shots, he was standing on a ladder, throwing books to those who were done. Seeing that Sir Robert was done with his book, the Doctor threw another one at him.

Rose muttered under her breath, "Biology, zoology...there might be something on wolves in here..." She stopped talking after that and continued her feverish flipping.

Seeing that Kayla was done with her book, the Doctor tossed her another one while he asked Sir Robert, "Hold on, what about this?"

Flipping through a book, Sir Robert answered, "... some form of explosive..." He muttered absent mindedly.

"Hmm, that's the sort of thing. Ooh..."the Doctor stated. An odd look on his face, the Time Lord jumped down from the ladder and placed a large book on the table, "Look what your old dad found. Something fell to Earth." Starting to grin, he flipped it open.

The others crowed around the table and looked down at the open page. On it, there was an illustration of a rock falling to Earth from the sky.

"A spaceship?" Rose asked.

"No, it's a shooting star." Kayla argued, and then, just to prove her case, Kayla read, "'In the year of our Lord, 1540, under the reign of King James the Fifth, an almighty fire did burn in the pit.'"

Leaning down Sir Robert said, "That's the Glen of Saint Catherine just by the Monastery." He pointed at a small building in the elaborate picture.

"But that's over three hundred years ago. What's it been waiting for?" Rose pointed out, making Kayla and the Doctor pause and think about that.

Finally, the Doctor answered, "Maybe just a single cell survived. Adapting slowly down the generations. It survived through the humans. Host after host after host." Though the Queen wasn't look at the picture like the others, the Doctor clearly saw her stiffen at that.

"But why does it want the throne?" Sir Robert questioned. To him, it made no sense. It was an animal, why did it want a throne? Did it need a better chair?

Kayla was the one that answered Robert's question, "Right now, whoever sits in the throne has the most power. Imagine a creature with so much knowledge in control." Kayla shook her head, as if she was denying the possibility of that even happening.

For some reason that Kayla and Rose didn't know, the Doctor thought he should elaborate on what Kayla had said, "Imagine it...the Victorian Age accelerated...starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam…leaving history devastated in its wake..."

Having heard enough from the crazy Doctor, Queen Victoria stood up from her chair and called out, "Sir Robert!" Of course, the man went to her.

"If I am to die here..." Victoria started.

Knowing it was rude; Sir Robert cut her off, "Don't say that, Your Majesty." He suggested rather than ordered.

Ignoring the interruption, Victoria continued, "I would destroy myself rather than let that creature infect me. But that's no matter. I ask only that you find some place of safekeeping for something far older and more precious than myself." She opened her handbag.

Not knowing what the Queen was doing, the Doctor assumed that it had something to do with money and called over, "Hardly the time to worry about your valuables."

"Thank you for your opinion. But there is nothing more valuable than this." Queen Victoria drew from her bag the largest diamond that any of the people in the room had ever seen. Even Kayla, though it had long been outranked by others, knew what the stone was called.

"Is that the Koh-I-Noor?" Rose breathed out, completely amazed that the largest diamond in the world was just resting in the palm of the Queen's hand.

The Doctor stared at the stone in wonder, "Oh, yes...the greatest diamond in the world." The three shuffled in together for a closer look, in awe of the diamond.

Knowing the story well, Queen Victoria explained, "Given to me as the spoils of war. Perhaps its legend is now coming true. It is said that whoever owns it must surely die."

"Well, that's true of anything if you own it long enough. Can I...?" He held his hand out towards the Queen, and, for some reason, Victoria gave it to him. He pushed his glasses down his nose so he could see it better. Kayla shuffled a bit over so that she was shoulder to shoulder with the Doctor while Rose prodded the stone.

"It's beautiful." Kayla said simply, as if two simple words could describe the stone, which it could, to her.

Not even bothering to correct the brunet, though she really wanted to, Rose asked the Doctor, "How much is that worth?"

Studying the flawless stone in his hand, the Doctor muttered out, "They say...the wages of the entire planet for a whole week." He wrapped his free arm around Kayla's waist, drawing her in just a bit more so he could point out how beautiful the stone was.

"Good job my mum's not here. She'd be fighting the wolf off with her bare hands for that thing." Kayla laughed softly at the idea of Jackie Tyler fighting against a werewolf Somehow, that situation seemed possible.

"She'd win." The brunet told Rose and the Doctor, who both laughed.

Sir Robert, who had grown rather bored of the diamond, looked around the room, "Where is the wolf?" He turned and walked away from the rock, "I don't trust this silence." He told the room. Briefly, he wondered if a book would jump down automatically, but then he shook his head at his own stupidity.

Still in awe of the diamond, the Doctor asked, "Why do you travel with it?"

"My annual pilgrimage. I'm taking it to Helier and Carew. The Royal Jewellers at Hazelhead. The stone needs recutting." Rose shook her head at that.

"Oh, but it's perfect." She argued. Even Kayla agreed with her, which was shown by a nod of agreement.

Queen Victoria gave the three a small, tight smile, "My late husband never thought so."

The Doctor removed his glasses, knowing exactly what the Queen was talking about, "Now, there's a fact - Prince Albert kept on having the Koh-I-Noor cut down. It used to be forty percent bigger than this. But he was never happy. Kept on cutting and cutting."

Slightly shocked that the man knew about that, Queen Victoria continued the story, "He always said...the shine was not quite right. But he died with it still unfinished."

"The shine was not quite right…OH!" Kayla shouted out, making Rose jump.

The Doctor, however, realizing what Kayla was talking about, tossed the diamond back to the Queen, who caught it. Working out, the Doctor started to speak impossibly fast, "There's a lot of unfinished business in this house. His father's research - your husband, Ma'am, he came here and he sought the perfect diamond - hold on, hold on - " He ruffled his hair violently, his eagerness rising as he worked it out, "all these separate things, they're not separate at all, they're connected! Oh, my head, my head! What if - this house, it's a trap for you - is that right, Ma'am?"

"Duh." Kayla answered before the Queen could.

"At least, that's what the wolf intended. But! What if there's a trap inside the trap?" the Doctor continued, taking Kayla's answer.

Seeing the confused looks on Rose's and Queen Victoria's faces, Kayla shook her head and told the Doctor, "You might want to explain to everyone what you're talking about."

"What if his father," the Doctor waved his hand at Sir Robert, who stiffened, "and Queen Vick's husband," the Queen made a face of obvious displeasure at the name, "weren't just telling each other stories. They dared to imagine all this was true. And they planned against it. Laying the real trap not for you...but for the wolf."

Sir Robert was right not to trust the silence, because, just after the Doctor was done, the glass dome above the group, which was very beautiful, suddenly wasn't beautiful anymore because of the wolf walking across it, causing plaster to fall on the group. Due to that, they looked up to see the wolf growling, its gaze firmly on them.

"Oh, you mean that wolf right there?" Kayla asked, and the Doctor nodded weakly.

Despite how thin the host was, the werewolf apparently weighed a lot more, because the dome started to crack from its weight. Rose, Kayla, and the Doctor threw their books down and they ran, Queen Victoria following, to the door.

"Out! Out! Out!" the Doctor ordered.

Kayla, despite running, still had time to say, "Stop being so obvious!"

Behind them, the werewolf crashed through the glass, ruining the desk. While that was going on, the Doctor, Sir Robert, Rose, and Kayla quickly destroyed their barricade and ran out and into the corridor.

"Your Majesty!" Sir Robert called, and the Queen, who had been staring at the fast recovering wolf, ran out with the Doctor slamming the door after one last look.

* * *

The five ran down the corridor, the Doctor yelling as they went, "Gotta get to the observatory!" Careening around a corner, Rose turned back to look at the fast approaching wolf and paused, horrified by what she was seeing.

Kayla, seeing that Rose wasn't moving, backtracked to the blond and tried to move her, but Rose just screamed, since the wolf was right on the girls. Still trying to get her to move, Kayla gasped at the sudden flying pan of steaming water. Rose, thinking that it was just water, screamed again, but there was no need, because the wolf was bounding away from them and down the corridor that it had run up.

"Nice one!" Kayla shouted to Lady Isobel, who grinned.

Isobel, who looked disheveled and tired, gave Kayla a small smile, "It was mistletoe!"

The Doctor grabbed Kayla's arm, trying to control his emotions as he ran with her down the corridor and turned the corner, letting the others _think _that they were just looking to see that the wolf was leaving, but in reality, the Doctor was hugging the brunet tightly, shaking just a tiny bit. He had almost lost Kayla, crying was a small reaction to the worry, the hopelessness he had just felt.

On the other side of the corridor, Lady Isobel and Sir Robert where having a similar touching reunion. A cry of, "Isobel!" came from Robert's lips as he wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her deeply. Behind the two, Queen Victoria and Rose dropped their gazes, but if Sir Robert and Lady Isobel cared about the awkward situation they were making, they made no sign of it. To them, there was no one else but each other at that very moment.

So when Robert told his wife gently, "Get back downstairs." She nodded, wanting to always have that feeling.

"Keep yourself safe." She told him in return, and with a small nod, they kissed again.

"You go." Sir Robert whispered after another lengthy kiss.

Lady Isobel and the maids who had come with her, which was all of them, hurried past Sir Robert and to the kitchen. Pausing just a bit, Lady Isobel called to the maids, "Girls, come with me. Down the Back stairs, back to the kitchen. Quickly!" She turned to look back at her husband and despite knowing that his wife was going to be safe, Sir Robert couldn't help but wonder if _he _was going to ever see her again.

Having come back from around the corner, the Doctor called out, "Come on!" And they were off again.

"The observatory's this way!" Sir Robert called, getting to the front of the group to lead them up the central staircase and hurrying up it as fast they could. The werewolf, however, had already recovered and had already returned to the chase. Finally they arrived at the observatory, somehow the Doctor and Kayla in the lead.

Pausing just a tad bit to study the doors, the Doctor called out, "No mistletoe on these doors, your father wanted the wolf to get inside! Get inside I just need time! Is there any way of barricading this?!"

Knowing what had to be done, Sir Robert replied with, "Just do your work and I'll defend it."

"What about rope? Do we have any rope to bind the doors together?" Kayla asked, trying her hardest to ignore what Sir Robert had said. It was obvious suicide to try and defend the door, and Sir Robert seemed to know that.

"I said I'd find you time, sir and ma'am." Sir Robert said firmly, causing Rose and Queen Victoria to stare at him in horror, "Now get inside."

Kayla and the Doctor both stared at the man, pride in Kayla's gaze and she said simply, "Good man." The Doctor nodded at that, having been about to say the same thing to the honor filled man.

Trying but failing to smile, Sir Robert closed the door. After a slight pause, the Doctor hurried over to the Queen, "Your Majesty, the diamond." He requested.

Flabbergasted that the Doctor had recovered so quickly, the Queen barely managed to ask without a stutter, "For what purpose?"

"The purpose that it's meant for." Kayla told her, also walking over.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sir Robert locked the door carefully behind him with a heavy heart. Continuing to move, he armed himself with a sword from a display on the wall as he heard the werewolf howled as it bounded up the stairs.

* * *

Hearing the howls just as Sir Robert had, Queen Victoria hurriedly handed over the diamond in her bag. As soon as the Doctor had it, he and Kayla ran over to the mechanism for the telescope. With a quite a bit of difficulty that resulted with Rose coming over and helping the Time Lord and the brunet, the wheel turned enough for the cogs to shift and the telescope to rise.

Despite straining against the wheel, Rose bit out sarcastically, "Is this the right time for stargazing?"

"Yes, it is." The Doctor answered.

* * *

Outside the observatory, the werewolf had found Sir Robert, and was not impressed by him guarding the door. As it approached slowly, Sir Robert glared at the wolf, "I committed treason for you. And now my wife will remember me with honor!"

Despite how he violently he fought with his sword, Sir Robert only managed to get one slash into the wolf before he was devoured.

* * *

Rose, hearing the screams, looked terrified at the almost unearthly screams that Sir Robert was making. In front of her, Queen Victoria held up her crucifix with a shaking hand. Soon, the werewolf could be heard battering the door. The sound of the gears grinding nearly overrode it. However, the noise did override Queen Victoria's hushed prayer.

"You said this thing doesn't work!" Rose grunted out.

Kayla managed to glance over at Rose and explain, "It's a light chamber, so it doesn't work as a telescope. Like a weapon, it magnifies the light rays, which is why we need to power it up." The Doctor made a face at Kayla, he would have explained it with way more excitement.

"But there's no electricity!" Rose objective, but just got a grunt and a sigh from the Doctor and Kayla. Suddenly working it out, Rose cried out, "Moonlight! But it needs moonlight! It's made by moonlight!"

"You're seventy percent water but you can still drown. Come on!" the Doctor called back.

Finally, the Light Chamber started to align with the moon. Egging it on, the Doctor chanted out, "Come on!"

At long, tense last, it's properly aligned. Rose, the Doctor, and Kayla stepped away from the gears as the moonlight bounced off the prims. Just as the werewolf broke into the room, the light spewed forth from the end of the Light Chamber onto the floor far too far from the werewolf. Seeing it's chance, the werewolf advanced on the Queen, but Kayla, acting quickly, grabbed the diamond from the Doctor and dived across the floor and shoved the Koh-I-Noor into the beam of light. Reacting to the diamond, a glorious prismatic-beam of light hit the werewolf. He lifted off the floor and hung there, suspended in the wash of moonlight. As they looked on, the werewolf took human form.

In control of himself, the Host pleaded softly, "Make it brighter. Let me go."

Walking slowly, the Doctor went to the light chamber and flicked a switch. Closing his eyes at the howl of the Host, he felt Kayla slip her hand into his. Needing her strength, he squeezed her hand tightly as the creature disappeared and the light slowly turned off. Rose breathed a huge sigh of relief and the Doctor opened his eyes and glanced around the room. The Queen quickly caught his eye, not because he had been worried about her, but because she was staring at some wound intently on her wrist.

"Your Majesty? Did it bite you?" the Doctor asked sharply.

Queen Victoria quickly dropped her wrist and shook her head, "No, it's...it's a cut." She stuttered out.

"If that thing bit you…" Kayla began, not actually sure where her sentence was going to end.

"It was a splinter of wood when the door came apart." Queen Victoria dismissed.

Kayla shook her head, "Let us see, he's," she pointed at the Doctor, "is a Doctor." They stepped forwards towards the Queen but she jerked back automatically, cradling her injured hand to herself.

"It is nothing." She said sharply. Obviously not believing her, Kayla made a, 'mhm' noise and the Doctor just leveled the Queen with a gaze.

* * *

As the sun rose outside, everyone was gathered in Torchwood's Hall.

The Doctor, Rose, and Kayla stepped forwards and knelt in front of Queen Victoria. Nearby, the dressed in black Lady Isobel and the maids watched as the Queen said, "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub thee: Sir Doctor of TARDIS." She tapped him lightly on each shoulder with her sword. Turning to Rose, she repeated the words from before, "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the: Dame Rose of the Powell Estate." Once again, she tapped each of the blond's shoulders.

Finally, she got to Kayla, "By the power invested in me by the Church and the State, I dub the: Dame Kayla of the Time Agency." Both of the brunet's shoulders were tapped by the sword.

"You may stand." Queen Victoria told them, finally ending the ceremony. At her word, the Doctor, Rose, and Kayla rose to their feet.

The Doctor, naturally, spoke first, a giant smile on his face, "Many thanks, Ma'am." He said formally.

Rose, grinning like the Doctor, said less formally, "Thanks! They're never going to believe this back home." Flora smiled at Rose, proud of her friend.

Grinning just like the other two, Kayla said her thanks, "Thanks, if my father was here, he'd be proud."

"Your Majesty, you said last night about receiving a message from the great beyond; I think your husband cut that diamond to save your life. He's protecting you even now Ma'am, even from beyond the grave." The Doctor told the Queen. He would have said that privately but there had never been any time, giving the Time Lord no choice but to tell the Queen something very personal very openly.

Queen Victoria gave the Doctor a tight glare, "Indeed. Then you may think on this, also: that I am not amused."

The Doctor groaned, Kayla laughed, and Rose jubilantly shouted out, "Yes!"

Not understanding Queen Victoria glared at the three, "Not remotely amused." Rose made an effort to wipe the smirk off her face, "And henceforth...I banish you." _That _sobered the three up.

"What?" Kayla asked, her mouth gaping open.

"I'm sorry..?" the Doctor also asked, not sure if he had heard the Queen right.

Sadly, he did. With a voice tight with anger Queen Victoria ranted out, "I rewarded you, Sir Doctor and Dame Kayla. And now you are exiled from this empire, never to return. I don't know what you are, the three of you, or where you're from, but I know that you consort with stars - and magic - and think it fun. But your world is steeped in terror and blasphemy and death and I will not allow it! You will leave this shores and you will reflect, I hope, on how you managed to stray so far from all that is good. And how much longer you will survive this...terrible life." She stepped away from the three furiously, "Now leave my world. And never return." She commanded.

* * *

Dame Kayla, Dame Rose, and Sir Doctor did what all knighted people did when they had been banished, they hitched a ride on the back of a passing farmer's cart, having been walking, and rode all the way to the TARDIS. Very formal, they were.

* * *

The farmer called out, "Woah!" as the cart jerked to a stop.

The three jumped off the cart and with a hearty cry of, "Cheers, Dougal!" from the Doctor, the farmer drove off.

Walking to the TARDIS, the Doctor started to speak, "You know, the funny thing is, Queen Victoria did actually suffer a mutation of the blood! It's historical record haemophiliac. It used to be called the Royal Disease! But it's always been a mystery because she didn't inherit it. Her mum didn't have it her dad didn't have it - it came from nowhere!" Kayla started to laugh at the pure irony of that and the Doctor grinned just at the sound and not at what Kayla was laughing about.

Blinking in shock, Rose stuttered out, "What, and you're saying that's a wolf bite?"

"It could be, or it could not be." Kayla said coly.

Nodding at that, the Doctor elaborated a lot more for his answer to Rose, "Well, maybe Haemophilia is just a Victorian euphemism."

"For werewolf." Kayla added in just as coly as before.

"Could be!" the Doctor cried out.

Not believing what the Doctor and Kayla had figured out, Rose stated, "Queen Victoria's a werewolf?"

The Doctor nodded, "Could be! And, her children had the Royal Disease. Maybe she gave them a quick nip."

Rose shook her head, "So, the Royal Family are werewolves?"

Kayla answered that one, having worked out the math in the cart, "Not yet. A single wolf cell would take a hundred years or so to mature. It would be ready by the early 21st century or so." She finished, grinning at the gob smacked expression Rose was wearing.

"Nah! That's just ridiculous! Mind you…Princess Anne...!" Kayla started to laugh along with a few manly chuckles from the Doctor.

"I'll say no more." He told her, grinning broadly.

Rose, barely able to hold back her giggles, spoke her jumbled thoughts aloud, "And if you think about it…they're very private. They plan everything in advance. They - they could schedule themselves around the moon - we'd never know!"

As they reached the TARDIS and bundled in, Rose continued her thoughts, "They like hunting! They love blood sports!"

Laughing just as loudly as Kayla was, which was very loudly, the TARDIS started to dematerialize as Rose cried out before bursting into gay laughter, "Oh my God, they're werewolves!"

* * *

Night had already fallen when Lady Isobel, still dressed in all black, and Queen Victoria, also wearing black, walked slowly from the house.

"What will you do? Will you stay here?" Queen Victoria asked conversationally.

Tears that Lady Isobel were not ashamed of where on her cheeks. With a small shake of her head, Lady Isobel whispered out her answer, "I don't think I could. I'd sell it. Or I'd pull this place down."

Nodding at that, Queen Victoria glanced over at the sign on the wall announcing the name to all. With grim resolution coming into her eyes, the Queen looked back to Lady Isobel and told her the plan she had formed, "Although we may not speak of these events in public, they'll not be forgotten. I promise you that. Your husband's sacrifice...the ingenuity of his father...they will live on."

Despite how determined the Queen look, Lady Isobel still had to ask, "But how?"

Having expected the question, Queen Victoria answered readily, "I saw last night, that Great Britain has enemies beyond imagination, and we must defend our borders on all sides. I propose an institute to investigate these strange happenings and to fight them. I would call it 'Torchwood.' The Torchwood Institute. And if that Doctor and Kayla should return, they should beware - because Torchwood will be waiting."

* * *

Far away in present day time, Captain Jack Harkness was going through old files from the beginning of Torchwood, remembering something that the two women from the original Torchwood 3 had told him. Grinning widely when he found it, he grabbed the delicate document and looked through it. Slowly, his grin slid off as he read the purpose for all Torchwood. What the hell had the Doctor and Kayla done to piss off Queen Victoria?

* * *

_Oh why was the phone ringing? Didn't that…that Idiot know that Flower was trying to sleep, and that the Thief and the Other Thief were…well…KISSING? Oh stupid Idiot interrupted them. Then again, they wouldn't be able to do anything since the Thief had to explain Bonding…whatever that was. Oh that stupid Idiot, what had…no will…oh stupid tenses! That Idiot. If I had a head, it would be shaking at him. Or was it will be? _

* * *

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I actually had a lot of fun writing it. **

**Don't forget to favorite/follow/review. **

**Also, check out my new book, Dying Light, which is adopted from the amazingly talented moonchild2308.**


	6. Interlude 1

Kayla ran down a long hallway. Behind her was a large, possibly poisonous, completely covered in scales…baby dragon, "Doctor!" She cried out, ducking the lime green flames that had been shoot at her.

Skidding around the corner, the brunet banged into a very crowded room and turned to look at the dragon.

"Oh damn the Doctor." She muttered as the dragon approached her slowly. Taking a deep breath, she slipped her gun out of her pocket, "Now listen. I don't want to shoot you but I will if you keep walking towards me."

Of course, the dragon continued to walk towards her, so Kayla did exactly what she had threatened, she shoot it. Surprisingly, probably since it was a baby, it died.

"Oh your knees." A man ordered. Glancing around, she saw the ruler pointing at her. Rolling her eyes, she did as he commanded, "Do you know what you have shot?" Before Kayla could answer, the man continued, "You shot the future ruler of the dragons. By our laws, you will be beheaded tomorrow at dawn." Ignoring the brunet's gasp of shock, he ordered the guards to take her away, which they did.

* * *

When the Doctor had finally arrived, Kayla had been in the cell for five hours. When she heard the rush of the TARDIS, the brunet had muttered out, "Finally," And then had waited for the Time Lord to come over. Expecting him to be smiling with his spiked hair, she was shocked to see him looking, well, angry.

"Doctor?" She asked, as if the man was an imposter. Not even acknowledging her question, the man unlocked the door she was in with his sonic screwdriver and then left. Annoyed, Kayla ran after him.

* * *

Only when they had gotten to the TARDIS did the Time Lord speak. Rounding on the ex-Time Agent, he yelled out, "What the hell where you thinking?"

The surprise that flashed across Kayla's face was quickly replaced by anger of her own. Not one to step down from a fight, she yelled back, "What the hell was I thinking? Really Doctor? Really? You told me to take care of it so I did!"

"I didn't mean kill it! It was a baby Kayla. A _baby_." The Doctor stared at the girl incredulously.

Why had she thought that killing something with so much life was okay? Of course he had done that before, but never had he felt like it was okay, something that Kayla seemed to think. Though he had told Kayla to take care of it, and he had gone back to the TARDIS only for it to, without him wanting it to of course, fly off to some moon. And if Kayla had woken it, as it she was caught killing it, then it might not have been to her choice.

Like the Doctor, Kayla was going through her own turmoil of emotions. Yes, she was angry because the Doctor just didn't seem to understand why she had killed the dragon. But…could she have done something different? She could have kept running or she could have left with her Vortex Manipulator. Both were two things she didn't do.

Looking down at the floor, Kayla muttered out, "I'm sorry." The Doctor however, didn't comment. Instead, he fiddled with the console for a bit.

"Kayla..." the Doctor ran a hand through his spiked hair, just making it even more spiked and rumpled. Taking a deep breath, he tried again, "Kayla, while you did something wrong and I'm still really angry…"

Before the Time Lord could finish, the brunet kissed him gently, "I know Doctor, I know."

* * *

Despite the very sweet apology, the Doctor stayed away from Kayla and Rose. He locked himself in the library. The TARDIS assisted him as always. Whenever the two went looking for him, the hallways were moved and they grew hopelessly lost before ending up in the console room again. Due to this, Rose called Mickey, who had called earlier and reported some stupid thing, and told them they would arrive at some point but probably not soon.

The days turned into a week, then two, and finally, on the last day of the third week, the Doctor strolled out of the library looking the same as ever if a bit tired. He acted as if nothing had happened and when Kayla asked, he didn't answer her.

Rose however, seemed to know exactly why the Doctor had been gone. When the ex-Time Agent had asked her, the blond had said something along the lines of, "He did it a few weeks before we met you."

Though it was an answer, it was not the elaborate one that Kayla had wanted, so she had no choice but to wait.

* * *

She finally got an answer when she had spent the night with the Doctor.

Ever since the three weeks away from her, the Time Lord had barely done anything romantic with her. When he did, it was just holding her hand or a very light kiss that lasted barely a second. This had taken its toll on Kayla. Perhaps it was the last straw for her fragile stress, because the ex-Time Agent just stopped sleeping. Yes, she was tired, but she couldn't get herself to sleep.

Finally, the ever caring Doctor found her in the TARDIS kitchen and with little resistance he was able to carry her in his arms to her bedroom. Got her under the covers and then, with a lot of awkwardness, he joined her.

"You can't do this to yourself." The Doctor chastised gently. Even if Kayla had been more alert, she would have had trouble paying attention due to the Doctor's hand running through her hair, "I know things have been rough lately but that's no excuse."

Instead of nodding, Kayla asked softly, "Why did you hide for three weeks?" she turned her head to look at the Time Lord, who had closed his eyes.

Unlike the many times she had asked the same question before, the Doctor answered, "Years and years ago, the Last Great Time War started. Years and five days after it began, I ended it." He looked down at the bed, and this time it was Kayla who comforted the grieving man.

* * *

If someone had gone into Kayla's bedroom, they would have seen the Doctor with his arms wrapped around Kayla. The brunet herself was sleeping on a mix of his shoulder and a pillow. And, if that someone had been paying attention instead of gasping in horror and pain, then they would have noticed that the two were both fully clothed.

But that someone hadn't. Instead that someone had quickly closed the door and hurried to her room where she had sobbed into a pillow. Around her, the TARDIS hummed softly, trying to comfort her, but it didn't work.

* * *

When Kayla and the Doctor woke they both headed into the kitchen to see Rose making a pot of tea as she often did when she was upset. When she turned around and saw them, the two could clearly see that her eyes were rimmed with red.

"Rose, is everything okay?" the blond nodded quickly and hurried off, leaving her unfinished tea on the stove.

* * *

It was the Doctor who had sought out Rose. He would have liked Kayla to but the brunet had insisted that he do it, saying that, "Rose would get more comfort out of you than me," and, "She likes you better." After having a short paper rock scissors battle, Kayla had won, the Time Lord made his way to Rose's room which was, of course, locked.

Sighing, he knocked shortly three times, "Rose I know you're in there. Kayla and I are worried sick. We know there's something wrong, so please come out, because we're scared. It's only the three of us, just us three, and we need you. Do you wanna come out now?" A long pause followed that made the Doctor start to walk away when the door opened and a very upset Rose peaked out.

"I saw you and Kayla and her bed…I know it's stupid of me, but I just can't help but be upset." Moving to close the door, the Doctor rushed over and placed his foot firmly in between it and the door.

Scratching his neck awkwardly, he said, "I was forcing her to sleep. We didn't do…well…_that." _

* * *

After the Doctor assuring Rose that _that _hadn't gone on, and then Kayla had said the same thing, the blond finally left her room, cleaned up and looking more like the happy pink and yellow human she always was. Standing in the console room, she watched as the Doctor and Kayla skillfully flew the TARDIS to their next destination, which was, sadly, a very odd school.

* * *

_No, no, no. I miss my sisters. Oh how we flew and talked. Poor Thief. Poor Other Thief. Not really poor Flower, she should have looked better. But poor the other two, mostly Thief. He HAS to tell her. She won't get scared...at least I think she won't. Or thought? Stupid tenses! _

* * *

**I am so, so sorry this is late! I only just woke up, which isn't like me.**

**I actually enjoyed writing this. But next is Sarah Jane Smith! Oh my god I love her!**

**So, don't forget to review/follow/favorite!**

**See you tomorrow with Dying Light and then see you next week!**


	7. School Reunion Part 1

Mr. Flinch, the headmaster of a very mysterious school, descended down a flight of stairs and rounded a corner. His destination was a very simple one for a very not simple man. That destination was the headmaster office, his office. At first, he walked right past the bench, but then he paused and look back, his gaze stopping on the delicious, if a bit thin, girl sitting on the bench.

"What do you want?" He asked her sharply. Really, he had every reason to be irritable. He had to put up with stupid children. He had to do everything.

The girl stared at the floor, puzzled about why she was sent to see Mr. Flinch, "The nurse sent me, sir. I was in English and I got a headache." She muttered out. Though nobody else seemed to experience anything amiss, she always had. Today had been one of her worse, so her teacher had kindly suggested that she go to the nurse, and now her she was.

Mr. Flinch, seeing no point in the girl, snapped out, "Then don't bother me, go home."

At the mention of 'home,' the girl made an odd face, "I can't."

"Why? Is your mother at work?" Mr. Flinch was a smart man, which is why he had quickly figured out the better use for the girl, something that the nurse had also figured out.

The girl shook her head, "I live in Ambrose Hall. The children's home." She admitted.

This time Mr. Flinch spoke kindly, "No parents. No one to miss you?" the girl shook her head, "I see why the nurse sent you. You poor child. Poor...thin, child. Come inside." He turned to his office and the girl obediently stood up to follow him.

Opening the door, he said kindly, "It's nearly time for lunch." The door shut firmly behind the two.

If anyone had happened to walk by, they would have heard screeching and flapping within and the sound of the thin girl from the bench screaming in agony.

* * *

At the sound of the bell ringing, the new teacher for Physics sent the kids who had been in his class out and waited for the new ones. Across the hall, the equally new teacher for History was doing much the same.

* * *

For the History teacher, a young girl, twin to the girl with the headache, sat down silently. Her eyes were rimmed in red from tears she had shed. Her sister, Nina, had not been seen for three days. Of course the people running Ambrose Hall didn't care. Why should they? All she had been to them was another mouth to feed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Physics, a boy named Kenny headed into the lab and sat down at a bench. Having gone to check on the History teacher, the Physics teacher walked into the room. His white scuffed up converses gave the child a bad impression. That impression was only built up by his brown hair which was spiked up and the way he plonked his bag onto the desk.

"Good morning, class. Are we sitting comfortably?" the Doctor grinned widely at the students.

* * *

"Alright class." Kayla clapped her hands together.

Much like the Doctor's bad impression on the Physics students, the new History teacher did not look like anything special. Her hair was rumpled, there were bruises under her eyes, and the clothes she was wearing was just a wrinkled sweatshirt, worn jeans, and well-worn shoes.

"Your last teacher left notes before she took off. You guys are far behind." Despite how amazing they were in their more 'practical classes' in History and English they were barely scraping by, and the class that the ex-Time Agent was teaching just happened to be the worse.

* * *

The Doctor scrawled the word, 'Physics' in all caps on the whiteboard. With a flourish, he underlined the letters.

"So. Physics." He replaced the cap of the marker carefully and then chucked it down on his desk, "Physics. Eh? Physics. Phyyyyyyyysics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics." While the class looked bemused, the Doctor sniffed purposefully, "I hope one of you is getting all this down. Um, okay - let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?"

From all he had researched, it did not surprise the Time Lord when a boy raised his hand to answer the very complex question.

"Yes - uh, what's your name?" the Doctor asked.

The boy put his hand down before he answered, "Milo."

Clapping his hands together at the name, the Doctor ordered, "Milo! Off you go."

As if it was a simple as 2+2, Milo answered, "They'd repel each other because they have the same charge."

"Correctamundo! A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again." The Doctor stated. Privately he was impressed, but he didn't show it.

* * *

Kayla was thoroughly annoyed with the class. When she had asked if they knew who the Mexican Leader was during the Texas Revelation, a boy had snootily said, "Bob the Builder." Despite not knowing who the hell Bob was or is, Kayla knew that that _wasn't _the answer.

* * *

The Doctor was growing worried. Milo had answered his next question, which was measuring the electricity flowing through a coil of wire that was in water. A few college students would have had trouble with that.

Hiding his worry well, the Doctor said, "Right then, Milo, tell me this; true or false - the greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings."

"False." Milo answered readily, no pause to think it over.

"What is a non-coding DNA?" the Doctor asked.

Once again, Milo never paused, "DNA that doesn't code for a protein."

The thing about all the questions the Doctor had been asking was that they were all completely different from each other. So yet again, the Doctor asked a random question, which was, "Sixty-five-thousand-nine-hundred-and-eighty-three times five?"

No hesitation came from Milo as he stated, "Three-hundred-and-twenty-nine-thousand-nine-hundred-and-fifteen."

The students gaped at Milo, who, until now, had never answered a question. Not once. Yet now this odd teacher had come in and was asking so many impossible questions. The smart kids seemed impressed at them, but everyone else was just disturbed.

The Doctor decided to ask one answer that Milo _wouldn't _know the answer to. That question was, "How do you travel faster than light?" He smirked just a tiny bit at the pause that followed.

But the pause didn't go on for long, "By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of 36.7 recurring." Though Milo had displayed no emotions through the questions, he seemed pleased when the Doctor's mouth dropped up a bit.

* * *

Kayla, however, had a completely normal class. Not one of the students said something odd, instead they were just normal kids. Stupid and incredibly dull. Pleased at her discovery, Kayla dismissed the class when the bell rang and waited for the next class.

When lunch time rolled around, Kayla hurried over to the Doctor's Physics class. Expecting the Doctor to be grinning widely, he seemed trouble, but despite Kayla's best attempts to get it out of him, he stayed silent. Knowing that he would eventually tell her, she stopped when the Doctor had told her, snapped really, to, "Leave it."

As the two made it through the lunch line with unpleasant look dinner ladies spooning food roughly onto the people's plate, Kayla glanced down at her hand to study the new object on her finger. Needing a reason to be publicly affectionate, the Doctor had decided that the two were engaged. Kayla was perfectly fine with that, especially since she got to use the last Harkness while the Doctor went with John Smith.

Only when the Doctor nudged her with his foot did Kayla come out of her daydream, and oh how thankful she had. Because in the line of unpleasant ladies, on familiar one stood out. Her face scrunched up in annoyance at the two smirking broadly at her.

Rolling her eyes, she roughly spooned down some mashed potatoes.

At a table about ten minutes later, the Doctor and Kayla both speared a chip on their fork and nibbled it. While the Time Lord just looked at it disgustedly, Kayla gagged and threw the fork onto the table.

"These are worse than the ones at the Luna Academy!" She cried out.

The Doctor started to laugh at her reaction. Between said laughs, he asked, "There was bad food at the Academy?"

Kayla nodded, "For the first three months I was there at least. Then they got a Focaria." The Doctor and Kayla both grinned at that and Rose, who was in hearing shot, hurried over.

Pretending to be cleaning, she asked, "A what?"

"Special kind of alien that's an excellent cook, but never mind. Instead, could you just get that bit of gravy, it growled at me." She pointed at it with her fork.

Rose rolled her eyes and wiped the general spot Kayla had pointed at, muttering, "I'll show you a growl."

The Doctor, clearly loving the show, cut in, "No, no - just there."

Rose quickly wiped the gravy away and growled out, "Two days, we've been here."

"Blame the idiot, he's the one that put us up to it. Though, I have to admit, he was right. A girl in my class, Macy, she and her twin live at Ambrose Hall." Seeing Rose's and the Doctor's confused faces, she added in, "The local children's home. Anyways, her twin hasn't been seen in a few days. The last time anyone saw her was her English teacher who had sent her to the nurse."

Looking troubled, the Doctor put in, "Boy in class this morning - got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."

Rose, who had been eyeing the chips, asked, "You eating those chips?"

Kayla made a face and shook her head while the Doctor sighed, "Yeah, they're a bit...different." At the look Kayla gave him, he paled and quickly passed his tray over.

Helping herself to one, Rose groaned in delight, "I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this."

"I'm glad I didn't." Kayla remarked, eyeing the chips nervously. Rolling her eyes, Rose sat down.

The Doctor squinted around the place, "It's very well behaved, this place." He noted and Kayla nodded.

Rose just moaned out, "Mm."

"I thought there'd be happy-slapping hoodies. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy-slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones." The Doctor smiled at Kayla, who, despite still eyeing the chips that Rose was quickly eating, smiled back, "Yeah? Yeah? Oh, yeah! Don't tell me I don't fit in."

While Rose ate her chips, and the Doctor and Kayla flirted, a dinner lady approached the table with a sour expression on her face, "You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting." She told Rose sharply.

Getting to her feet quickly, Rose motioned to the two, "I was just talking to these teachers."

The Doctor and Kayla smiled cheerily, "Hello!" the Doctor called, casually placing his arm around Kayla's shoulder.

Lowering her voice, Rose winked at the two before telling the dinner lady, "They don't like the chips."

Somehow, the dinner lady's face grew sourer, like the fact that Kayla and the Doctor didn't like the chips was a personal crime, "The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, get back to work." She nearly spat. Looking very pissed off, she stalked away.

Rose started to walk away from the table, "See? This is me." She gestured down at her uniform, "The dinner lady." She finished, sounding not too happy about her job.

Rolling his eyes, the Doctor grinned cheekily, "We'll have the crumble." He ordered, and then winced when Kayla punched him in the arm.

Rose sighed, "I'm so gonna kill you." She threatened lightly.

She returned to her station, all too aware of the Doctor and Kayla laughing loudly.

The laughter, however, didn't keep up when a black teacher known as Mr. Wagner, approached a girl sitting a few tables away.

"Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me...so it's time we moved you up to the top class." He told the girl, who, unlike most kids, looked very pleased at the news, "Kenny? Not eating the chips?"

Kenny looked horribly ashamed as all the other kids looked over at him, "I'm not allowed." He mumbled into his home-made dinner.

Rolling his eyes, Mr. Wagner moved on, "Luke - extra class. Now." At his order, Luke and several children followed him out of the room.

* * *

Above, on a balcony that was in plain view, Mr. Finch watched the teacher walked away. His sharp gaze turned to the Doctor and Kayla who were watching Mr. Wagner and children leave.

* * *

In her head, Rose kept a running string of complaints as she washed the many trays. Behind her, a dinner lady hissed out, "Careful...keep it steady...don't spill a drop." Blinking at the usual orders, Rose turned to see a few dinner ladies carefully wheel in a barrel of what appeared to be oil. For some odd reason, they had masks, goggles, and gloves on.

Bored out of her mind, Rose watched the group. The dinner lady continued to hiss out orders, "I said keep it steady. Careful...that's it...easy now...steady..." The blond nearly cursed when her mobile rang, but no one noticed, "Right, second barrel - quickly now!" Seeing that the same thing was going to happen, Rose slowly took her phone out and answered it.

"What you got?" She whispered into it.

* * *

In an internet café, Mickey sat at a table using his laptop, "Confirmation. I just got into army records. Three months ago, massive UFO activity. They logged over forty sightings - lights in the sky, all of that. I can't get any photos, 'cause then it gets all classified and secret. Keeps locking me out." On his screen, the same annoying ass message, **'Torchwood - Access Denied' **flashed in bold red letters.

* * *

Continuing to keep her voice low, Rose nodded, "Tell you what, though - three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced." Once again, she watched them wheel another barrel of oil into the kitchen with what seemed like unnecessary caution, "And this lot are weird." She remarked.

* * *

"See, there's definitely something going on. I was right to call you home." Mickey said jubilantly, just suppressing the want to punch his fist in the air.

* * *

"I thought maybe you called me home just to...well, just to call me home." Rose said coyly.

* * *

Mickey grinned, "Do you think I'd just invent an emergency?" He wondered.

* * *

Rose started to grin too, "Well, you could've done!"

* * *

"That's the last thing I'd do."

* * *

"Watch it!" A dinner lady cried out suddenly.

* * *

"Because every time I see you, an emergency just gets in the way—" Mickey continued without any answer from his sometime girlfriend.

* * *

The barrel of oil toppled over and onto one of the dinner ladies who started to scream in agony. Smoke started to come off her body.

Shocked Rose left Mickey with a hasty, "I've gotta go." And snapped her phone shut.

"Get her up, get her up!" A dinner lady ordered and the others hoisted the literally smoking dinner lady.

* * *

Blinking, Mickey asked into the silent phone, "What is it?"

The dinner lady covered in oil was carried into the office, all the while wailing in pain. Curious, Rose tried to see through the partition but the blinds were swiftly drawn.

* * *

Hearing a click, Mickey sighed deeply and closed his phone.

* * *

Her hands slightly shaking, she fumbled with her phone as she dialed 999. The head dinner lady emerged from the office and pulled her goggle down around her neck, and leaned against the doorframe.

Eyeing Rose suspiciously, she asked sharply, "What're you doing?"

Not looking up, Rose answered, "Calling an ambulance."

"No need. She's quite all right." The dinner lady reassured.

Rose hung up her phone only to flinch at the sound of something bursting into flames from the office. That was then followed by the sound of something smashing and finally a billow of smoke was expelled from the room.

Despite all that, the dinner lady didn't even flinch, "It's fine. She does that." She stated comfortably.

She went back into the office leaving Rose completely confused. She moved closer to the barrel of oil for a closer look. What the hell happened?

* * *

In the computer lab, Mr. Wagner made his way to the front of the room. The children were already at their computer terminals when he faced the class, "I'd like you all to put your headphones on now, please." He ordered, making it very clear that they didn't have a choice, "Now, children...the things you will see..."

He pressed a key on his own keyboard. The children raised their hands to their keyboards and started to type at an unnaturally fast pace, eyes locked on their own screen. A green light from some sort of code that scrolled down their screen lit up their faces. Mr. Wagner watched the students and smiled ever so slightly.

* * *

Mr. Finch and a middle-aged woman with brown hair and brown eyes descended down a flight of stairs, talking.

"My improvements aren't confined to the classroom. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We've introduced a new policy. School dinners are absolutely free. But compulsory. Do try the chips." He explained with an unnatural smile.

The woman nodded at what he was saying, "Oh, I'd love to - thank you! And it's got to be said, the transformation you've brought about is amazing. I mean, maybe you're working the children a little bit too hard now and then—"

"Hmm?" Mr. Finch asked sharply, interrupting what the woman was saying.

The woman continued, "But I think good results - they're more important than anything." She smiled winningly.

"Exactly. You're a woman of vision, Miss Smith." He complimented, and then smiled a thin, creepy smile.

Eyeing the building, Miss Smith nodded, "Oh, I can see everything, Mr. Finch. Quite clearly."

* * *

Despite lunch being an hour before, the Doctor was nibbling on a biscuit in the Staff Room. Kayla sat next to him and drank from a cup of tea while a teacher paced up and down before them, speaking, "But yesterday, I had a twelve-year-old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy...in cubits."

Kayla and the Doctor exchanged a look, "My students couldn't care less." The teacher waved his hand at Kayla.

"Just throw some math questions in there and they'll become tiny robots." The teacher dismissed.

The Doctor leaned forwards, "And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?" he questioned.

The teacher nodded, "Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot." He nodded over at the group of smart looking teachers conversing together and avoiding the normal ones, "Except for the teachers you two replaced, and that was just plain weird, them winning the lottery like that." The teacher told them.

Kayla winked at the Doctor, "Some people get lucky." She told the teacher evenly.

"They never played! Said the ticket was posted through their doors at midnight." The teacher exclaimed.

The Doctor popped another biscuit into his mouth and then handed one to Kayla, who nibbled on it, covering a secretive smile, "Hmm! The world is very strange." The Doctor remarked.

Mr. Fitch entered the room with Miss Smith in tow, "Excuse me, colleagues - a moment of your time." the Doctor glanced over, and gasped. Eyes widening, he stood up and just stared at the woman. Equally as shocked, Kayla got to her feet and gaped at the woman.

"May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist, who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times." After her introduction, Sarah Jane smiled at the teachers. Still in apparent shock, the corner of the Doctor's mouth started to turn up to a smile. Kayla, on the other hand, continued to gape, "I thought it might be useful for her to get 'a view from the trenches,' so to speak. Don't spare my blushes." Turning stiffly, he walked away.

Sarah Jane caught the Doctor's eyes, and, probably because he was smiling and Kayla was gaping at her, she approached him, "Hello!" She greeted.

The Doctor unfroze, "Oh, I should think so!" He stated. Also unfreezing, Kayla rolled her eyes and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Don't scare her." She whispered to him.

Sarah Jane laughed, "It's quite alright. If you don't mind me asking, who are you two?" she smiled at the two, just a tad bit unnerved by the spikey haired man not taking his eyes off of her.

His girlfriend, because the way they acted around each other left no other option except for marriage or engagement, and the girl's left hand was in her pocket so she saw no ring, seemed perfectly okay with how the man was acting.

"Hm? Uh, Smith. John Smith." The Doctor stuttered out, and then, as if he had only just remembered, wrapped his arm around Kayla's waist, "And this is Kayla Harkness, my fiance." Kayla smiled and placed her hand out. Seeing this, Sarah Jane shook it somewhat absentmindedly.

"John Smith? I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name." she remarked.

The Doctor smiled, "Well, it's a very common name!" He stated.

Sarah Jane started to smile wistfully, "He was a very uncommon man." She reminisced. Smiling softly, she held out her hand, "Nice to meet you!"

The Doctor shook her hand quickly, "Nice to meet you! Yes! Very nice! More than nice - brilliant!" he exclaimed.

Not wanting to leave the two, Sarah Jane asked rather awkwardly, "Um...so, um, have you worked here long?" She tilted her head, trying to appear as interested as possible.

For some reason though, she actually was interested. She wanted to find out more about John Smith. Kayla Harkness…she had heard the name somewhere, but otherwise she was just another face. John Smith though, she was drawn to him.

The Doctor, still smiling stupidly, seemed unable to speak. Seeing this, Kayla supplied, "No, it's only our second day."

"Oh, you're new, then? So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill - doesn't that strike you as odd?" Sarah Jane questioned.

The Doctor grinned, "You don't sound like someone just doing a profile." He somehow managed to note.

Sarah Jane smiled back, "Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here." She dismissed.

Kayla nodded since the Doctor had resulted back into the shocked state from before, "No, there's definitely no harm with that. Well, good luck to you." Sarah Jane smiled and walked away to meet some of the other teacher.

"Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith." The Doctor whispered, so very proud of Sarah Jane Smith, _his _Sarah Jane Smith.

Not a few minutes later, the bell rang.

* * *

The corridors crowded with students while the Doctor and Kayla made their way through the swarm, a vague smile and a faraway expression on the Time Lord's face while Kayla led him.

* * *

Kenny watched a couple of his fellow students, people who he had once called his friends, now walked up the stairs, obviously eager for their next class. Once upon a time they had all complained about their teachers and the homework, but now _he _was odd for doing it. Mr. Wagner and all the new teachers were so _cool _and _smart. _Sighing, he started to follow them when he paused, hearing odd flapping noises coming from a nearby "new" and "improved" classroom. Seeing that that was much more interesting than their next class, he followed the sound cautiously.

* * *

In the computer lab, Kenny crouched to peer under one of the desks. His eyes widened when he realized that he was looking at a horrible bat-like creature. Terrified, he straightened up, the sound of its screech ringing in his air. Instead of seeing it about to leap over the desks and attack him, Mr. Wagner was straightening up. But something was not right…his neck clicked when he moved it and his eyes were…well they were _glowing. _

"This isn't your classroom, Kenny. Now run along." The way he said it was deadly soft, making Kenny turn on his heel and run. Behind him, Mr. Wagner watched him, his eyes starting to narrow.

* * *

The school day and then the official day fell to night and Sarah Jane shined her torch into a classroom. Seeing that the coast was clear, she hoisted herself inside.

* * *

Kayla pointed her sonic blaster at a fire door and smirked when it disappeared. Sighing, the Doctor followed her through it. His mouth gaping, Mickey had to pulled by Rose.

"How are you going to put it back?" the Doctor asked Kayla, who rolled her eyes.

"Like this." Making a big show of it, she turned and pointed her gun at the spot where the door used to be. Like before, a line of green squares shot out of the tip and replaced the door.

Unlike Mickey, Rose was enamored by the dark corridor, "Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong." She remarked. Mickey made a motion akin to a nod.

The four made their way down the corridor, Kayla in the lead, "When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school." Rose continued.

"All right, team." Kayla started.

The Doctor, who was pouting behind her, suddenly whined, "Oh, I hate people who say 'team.' Say 'gang…' no, 'comrades.'" Rose and Mickey both looked at the Doctor.

Rolling her eyes, Kayla continued, "Rose, go to the kitchen and get a sample of the oil. Be careful, we don't know what it is. Mickey, the new teachers are Maths teachers, in fact, they're _all _Maths teachers, so go and check out that department. The Doctor and I are going to check Finch's office. Remembering, be back here in ten minutes." The Doctor and Kayla took off to the stairs.

Annoyed with the two taking off, Rose fiddled with her sleeve, "You gonna be all right?" She asked Mickey awkwardly.

"Me? Please. Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this." Mickey strode away with purpose, ignoring Rose standing there with a probable smirk on her face. Stopping, Mickey turned around and headed back to the blond, "Where's the Maths department?"

Rose pointed to the opposite direction, smirking, "Down there, turn left, through the fire doors, on the right." She told him.

"Thank you." Mickey sighed, and then walked to the Maths department.

* * *

Kayla led the Doctor down a dark corridor. Their brow's where both furrowed at the odd screeching and flapping noises in the distance. Pausing for a moment, they both nodded to each other before heading to the noise.

* * *

Sarah Jane had wished a lot of things in her lifetime. She wished the Doctor had never left her behind, she wished she hadn't aged, she wished she was less lonely, and above all, she wished she had never found out about Mr. Finch's odd school. Of course he had to have creepy thin smiles and odd students and even odder staff.

Keeping silent, she started to pick the lock to Mr. Finch's office. Suddenly, she heard a bang followed by a hellish screech. Her eyes widening, she spun around only to hear the sounds coming closer, therefore growing louder. She took a sharp intake of breath and backed down the corridor.

* * *

In the kitchens, Rose took the lid of the barrel of oil and spoons some of the green liquid into a small jar. A shadow passed over her which was followed by a screech. Growing scared, she looked up sharply.

* * *

Sarah Jane backed into a maintenance closet and slammed the door. She turned slowly and…no…it couldn't be.

But it was, for there, looming in front of her, was the TARDIS.

In shock, she backed out of the room, unable to believe it.

Staring at the closed door, somehow she wasn't surprised to see John Smith, obviously the Doctor, and Kayla Harkness, his obvious companion, watching her, "Hello, Sarah Jane." The Doctor greeted.

Sarah Jane looked at the two, "It's you. Oh...Doctor..." she whispered. A smile started to appear on her face as she edged towards the two, only having eyes for the Time Lord, "Oh, my God, it's you, it's...it's... you've regenerated." She breathed out.

The Doctor nodded, and, without really thinking about, placed his arm firmly around Kayla's waist, "Half a dozen times since we last met."

Sarah Jane swallowed hard, seeing the arm, and knowing what it meant, "You look...incredible." She whispered, already feeling guilt for how she felt for the man.

The companion, Kayla, smiled softly, seeming to realize what was going through the other's mind, "You don't look bad yourself." She commented.

Sarah Jane shook her head, "I got old." She stated simply. Still in quite a bit of shock, she edged around the Doctor, taking in his new, younger body, "What're you doing here?" She asked.

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Well...UFO sightings, school gets record results - I couldn't resist. What about you?"

"Same." The three laughed, but Sarah Jane's smile faltered and she sounded horribly close to tears when she spoke again, "I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must've died."

Kayla stared down at the floor, feeling more awkward by the second. Nonetheless, she listened as the Doctor answered, "I lived. Everyone else died."

Sarah Jane shook her head, unable to understand, "What do you mean?" she wondered.

The Doctor started to answer but stopped, suddenly unable to. It had been so long since he had explained the Time War, and the older he got, the harder it was to answer.

Due to standing next to him, Kayla heard the noise of pain from the Doctor, and very softly answered Sarah's question, "The Time Lords, all of them, are gone because of a War." She felt the Doctor's arm tighten around her, as if the devastated Time Lord couldn't bear to hear what he happened, what he had done.

Sarah Jane shook her head, know understanding why the Doctor seemed so…sadden, "I can't believe it's you." She muttered, only to tense along with the Doctor and Kayla when a high pitched wail sounded through the school.

"Okay! Now I can!" Sarah Jane shouted.

The three all grinning like the children they were inside, they run from the room to find the source of the screaming.

They ran into Rose who was skidding around the corner and into the converging corridor, "Did you hear that?" Rose asked breathlessly. Looking at the Doctor and Kayla, she paused when she saw a middle-aged woman, who was obviously sizing her up, "Who's she?" She questioned sharply.

Kayla winced at the sure to be awkward situation, Sarah Jane had seemed to like her, but Rose…well Sarah Jane was good at sizing people up, "Rose, this is Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane Smith, Rose Tyler." She introduced.

Looking unpleasantly surprised, Rose shook Sarah Jane's outstretched hand, "Hi. Nice to meet you." Sarah Jane greeted with a fake smile plastered onto her face. Turning to the Doctor, she said, "You can tell you're getting older - your assistants are getting younger."

Rose gasped, "I'm not his assistant." She stated outraged.

Kayla shrugged, "I'm his girlfriend." Even though it was true, the Doctor uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck.

Sarah Jane, who had already figured out what Kayla had said, winked at the Doctor, "No? I get you, tiger."

For some reason, maybe because of how she held herself, Sarah Jane Smith did not like Rose Tyler. The way she spoke, how she had looked down her nose at her, sent a shiver of distaste up her spine. Kayla Harkness was…okay. Sure, she would have liked the Doctor to not fall in love with anyone, but he had moved on, and, in a way, she was okay with that. Besides, the Doctor and Kayla fit together, that Sarah Jane could see. They stood close to each other because it felt natural. The fact that the Time Lord had found some he really loved made the old companion feel better.

Not sure what Sarah Jane was doing, the Doctor quickly grabbed Kayla's hand and pulled her with him down the corridor. Rose and Sarah Jane followed the two.

* * *

The Doctor had a small guess about who had yelled, and wasn't surprised to find out that, naturally, he was correct. It was, of course, Mickey Smith, the idiot, standing in one of the classrooms surrounded by…a loud of vacuum-packed rats? Well that the Time Lord had expected.

"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I - I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell out of them." The idiot apologized, sounding terrified that someone was going to punish him.

Unsure whether he should find this very funny, the Doctor bent down and picked up a few of the rats and handed some to Kayla who examined them silently.

Rose however, just gasped, "Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats." She breathed out in shock.

The Doctor turned to Mickey, "And you decided to scream." He accused.

Mickey blushed, "It took me by surprise!" he argued.

Kayla raised an eyebrow, "You sounded like a little girl." She pointed out.

"It was dark! I was covered in rats!" Mickey cried out indignantly.

"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing pigtails, frilly skirt." The Doctor continued.

Rose sighed, "Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?" She asked a little louder than necessary.

Sarah Jane glanced over Kayla and the Doctor as if wondering if Rose was actually real and not something out of a nightmare. Her face fell when Kayla nodded. Looking back to Rose, the old companion plastered a clearly fake smile onto her face, "Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?" She asked sharply.

The Doctor and Mickey looked worriedly between them. Feeling awkward, the Time Lord wrapped his arm around Kayla's waist. Ever since he had spent the night with her, the Doctor felt more comfortable with his arm around her waist or shoulder, or just holding her hand.

The three winced almost comically when Rose spat back at Sarah Jane, "Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?"

Needing the horrible show that was playing out in front of him to stop, the Doctor interrupted quickly, "Anyway, moving on." He removed his arm from Kayla's waist and grabbed her hand instead.

Behind him, Rose and Sarah Jane gave each other the dirtiest looks they could manage.

"Everything started when Mr. Finch arrived," the Doctor started, "We should go and check his office." Kayla nodded at the suggestion.

Taking the rat from the Doctor, she chucked it to Mickey who immediately dropped it.

* * *

As the four edged down the corridor, the Doctor and Kayla leading, the cat fight started back up, "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?" Rose asked, her tone making it clear that she meant to be rude.

Sarah Jane rolled her eyes, "Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor." She introduced rather sarcastically.

Rose glanced ahead at the Doctor and Kayla, who seemed to be listening, shot back to Sarah Jane, "Oh! Well, he's never mentioned you." A flash of pain flew across the old companions face, and, for a moment, Rose felt sorry, but then she felt triumph.

The Doctor stiffened, trying to think up a smart reply. Thankfully Kayla saved him, "Of course he hasn't." She scoffed, making the Doctor stumble, Sarah Jane to feel even more pain, Rose to feel some more triumph, and Mickey to wince for the Doctor, "He doesn't like thinking about the past. Trust me Rose, one day, you'll be the same."

That got Rose to shut up, which gave Sarah Jane ample time to hurry ahead and talk to Kayla and the Doctor.

"So," the old companion started, "who are you, Kayla?" she gave the brunet a quizzical look.

Kayla glanced over at her, "I was kidnapped as a baby. When I three, I was then kidnapped by the Time Agency. Then when I was ten, I officially started to work for them. My first mission was when I was thirteen, I blew up some factories. When I was 19, I went to the Luna Academy for a year. It was great, but then I was called back and, a few days later, my memory was wiped of everything except for the years I had spent at the Time Agency and most of the Luna Academy. The only way I remember now is due to a lot of advanced technology." She explained. Sarah Jane, unsure of how to respond, just nodded.

* * *

The Doctor had insisted that he used the sonic this time, mainly because he suspected that they would have to make a break for it, but also because he didn't like guns. At all.

"I've been thinking…" Kayla started.

"Well that's dangerous." The Doctor interrupted, but then went back to his unlocking with a muttered, "Sorry."

Kayla shook her head, "I've been thinking," she repeated, "maybe those rats were food."

Sarah Jane glanced over at the girl and nodded, "But what are they food for?" She pointed out only to get a shrug for answer.

The Doctor poked his head in first, and, after only waiting a few seconds, Kayla did the same.

To Rose, Mickey, and Sarah Jane, all they heard was incredibly strange noises, noises that echoed what they had heard when they had been exploring the school by themselves.

"Rose..." the Doctor whispered, "you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school...?" While it was pointless, the blond couldn't t help the automatic nod that answered the Doctor's question, "Well...they do."

And, in an odd way, the Doctor was right. Because there, hanging upside down from the ceiling, was bat-like creatures who were also the new Maths teachers.

Opening the door a bit more, Rose, Mickey, and Sarah Jane gaped along with the Doctor and Kayla at the creatures.

As always, Mickey reacted first, "No way!" He shouted out before turning on his heel to run. Worried about her idiot boyfriend, Rose followed, and Sarah Jane did the same. Finally, the Doctor and Kayla left, the latter remembering to close the door.

* * *

Unknowing to them, at the sound of the door shutting, one of the bats woke up and screeched.

* * *

**So, School Reunion! Great episode, and Sarah Jane! Now, after you've read this, please, please go back to the Interlude where I, stupidly, forgot to add the TARDIS' POV!**

**Thanks for reading, don't forget to review! **


	8. School Reunion Part 2

The five ran out of the front doors of the school, Mickey the worse from the running, "I am not going back in there. No way." He panted.

"Those were teachers!" Rose exclaimed.

"Thirteen big bat thingys." Kayla told the Doctor, who winced at the count.

Grabbing her hand, the two started to walk into the school when Mickey, who noticed their movement, whined out, "Come on- you've got to be kidding!" He protested.

The Time Lord rolled his eyes, "I need the TARDIS. I've got to analyze that oil from the kitchen." He reminded them.

Sarah Jane grinned, "I might be able to help you, there. I've got something to show you!" Grabbing the Doctor's arm, he tightened his grip on Kayla's hand, and pulled them to the parking lot.

Opening the boot of her car, the Doctor, Kayla, Rose, and Mickey all stared at…a green faded blanket. Curiosity growing, the Doctor pulled the blanket off to reveal K9!

"K9! Kayla Hark, Rose Tyler, Mickey Smith - allow me to introduce K9- well, K9 Mark III to be precise." The Doctor introduced.

While Mickey and Rose gave each other a, 'what the hell is that' look, Kayla was starting to grin widely, "Oh my god!" She cried out, "I can't believe I get to see it! K9, _the _K9! He was River's favorite!" Kayla squealed.

Rose rolled her eyes, "Why does he look so...disco?" She wondered.

Kayla and the Doctor made matching faces, "In the year five thousand this was cutting edge!" Kayla protested.

"What's happened to him?" The Doctor asked, noticing that despite his presence, K9 hadn't woken up.

Sarah Jane made a face, "Oh, one day, he just...nothing!" She explained.

"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?" the Doctor asked.

Mickey shook his head at Rose, causing the blond to stare at him, pleased that _someone _understood how she felt, "Well, it's not like getting parts for a mini-metro! Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone!" Sarah Jane was protesting to the Doctor.

The Doctor ignored the protest and started to coo at K9, "Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you? Eh?"

Mickey gaped at the Doctor as if he had lost his mind, which could be very true, Rose merely rolled her at the Doctor, trying her hardest to ignore the cooing noises that Kayla and the Doctor where making whilst they stroked the metal dog. Of course, she _didn't _ miss the triumphant glanced from Sarah Jane, but that was what the brunet wanted.

* * *

Unknowingly to the group, they were being observed by the alien they had woken up, "Look, no offense but could you three just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog, we're busy!" Rose cried out.

Starting to grin, the Doctor closed the boot of the car. Seeing that they were about to leave, the creature flew past the moon, screeching loudly for all to hear.

* * *

Despite the late hour, the group had found a small, comfy chip shop that was still open. The Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Kayla all sat by the window, the Doctor and Sarah Jane telling stories that would occasionally be interrupted by the Time Lord pausing to explain something to the ever curious Kayla, who was putting more attention to K9, which was sitting on the table in front of her, than the stories.

Not wanting to be anywhere near Sarah Jane Smith or the suddenly disloyal Doctor and Kayla, Rose had taken seat at the counter. Being ever loyal, Mickey had joined her.

"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said 'I told you so.'" Mickey said proudly.

Rose wrenched her eyes from the three, who looked _very, very _happy, to roll her eyes at her "boyfriend." Sure, the Doctor wasn't _hers_, but it still hurt a lot to see how _happy _he was with Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Besides if she had to stand by while the Doctor dated and loved someone else, then at least she "liked" the person, though like was a bit stretching it.

Starting to glance back, she muttered, "I'm not listening to this." Mickey smirked.

"Although, I have prepared a little 'I was right' dance that I can show you later." He continued before snickering at what he had said.

The shopkeeper held out her hand to Rose, "Two quid, love." She requested. Fumbling with the coins, Rose gave her the money and then took the chips but just tucked them away.

Not giving up on his sudden comedic career, Mickey carried on, "All this time you've been giving it, 'he's different!' - when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke!" He cried out.

Rolling her eyes at him, Rose got up only to sit down a table closer to the Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Kayla, "You don't know what you're talking about." She protested, sounding as if she was unsure of what she was saying.

Mickey shrugged lightly, "Maybe not." He seemed to agree, "But if I were you...I'd go easy on the chips." Rose paused in her shoveling of chips, a light blush starting to rise to her cheeks.

* * *

The alien, whatever it was, was still watching the group.

* * *

Mr. Finch stood on top of a building on the other side of the rode from the Chip shop, "Come to me...come to me..."He called out.

Like a well-trained bird, the bat-like creature swooped towards him before gently landing on the building beside him. Together they watched the Doctor and Kayla through the window of the chip shop.

* * *

"I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead - I thought, 'Oh, yeah. Bet he's up there.'" Sarah Jane said in her soft voice.

Kayla and the Doctor grinned, mostly at the memory of what happened _after _on that Christmas, "Right on top of it, yeah." The Doctor answered with a nod.

The next time that Sarah Jane spoke, it was a lot more cautiously than before, "And Rose?" She asked.

Kayla made a noise and paused in her work, "Definitely there too."

A loud pause of silence followed as Kayla fiddled with a wire and the Doctor helped her with it. Sarah Jane just watched them, still unsure of how to feel.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked suddenly, causing the Doctor pause in his help, "Because you never came back for me. You just...dumped me." She continued, struggling for the words.

The Doctor glanced at Kayla, worried that she had reacted negativily to the…suggestive word choice that Sarah Jane had used, but the brunet was still working on K9. Having put off his answer for far too long, the Doctor sighed, "I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed." He explained.

Sarah Jane just stared at him, "I waited for you. I missed you." She protested.

The Doctor just brushed off her protest, trying to pretend that he hadn't felt the same exact way, "Oh, you didn't need me! You were getting on with your life."

Sarah Jane just shook her head, a small, sad smile on her lips, "You were my life." She corrected. Shocked, the Doctor just looked at her, "You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, and with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?"

The Doctor's brow furrowed, "All those things you saw - do you want me to apologize for that?" He asked, completely and utterly clueless.

"No," Sarah Jane quickly shook her head as she almost snapped out her answer, "but we get a taste of that splendor...and then we have to go back."

Kayla started to smile, stopping her work, "Look at you! You found the school, you're investigating. You don't need the Doctor, because you're living your life here." Sarah Jane started to smile.

Still smiling as she thought over what Kayla had said, the Doctor started to sonic K9 when Sarah Jane suddenly stated, "It wasn't Croydon - where you dropped me off, it wasn't Croydon!"

The Doctor blinked, "Where was it?" He asked.

Sarah Jane huffed, a hint of amusement in her eyes, "Aberdeen." She answered.

Obviously not knowing where that was, the Doctor nodded, "Right." He muttered, and then paused, "That's next to Croydon, isn't it?" He checked.

Sarah Jane laughed as if that was obvious, which it was, and then shook her head.

Literally saving the Doctor, K9 decided to spring to life, "Oh, hey! Now we're in business!" the Time Lord cheered as he grabbed Kayla's hand. Springing to his feet, he pulled Kayla up and gave her a quick peck.

"_Master!" _K9 said, or barked, in his very cute slightly high-pitched voice.

The Doctor nearly started to clap his hands together, so high was his joy, "He recognizes me!" He cheered to Kayla.

Despite being a robot, K9 seemed just as happy as the Doctor and, if Kayla was seeing correctly, wagging his metal tail, _"Affirmative." _He confirmed.

Not even sparing a glance at the blond, the Doctor held out his free hand, the other was currently wrapped around Kayla's waist, and ordered, "Rose, give us the oil."

* * *

Mr. Finch was, well, _bored. _John Smith, whatever he was, Kayla Harkness, his plucky fiance, Rose Tyler, the dinner lady, Sarah Jane Smith, a…_reporter, _and a random black guy where doing nothing in the chip shop. Rolling his eyes, he proceeded to start a small mental game with the giant game was stopped when the boring group suddenly did something! Tensing, since it seemed like they were all gathering around a table, Mr. Finch went into a crouch and the bat did the to its very good eyesight, the giant bat was able to see something that looked suspiciously like a _metal dog _on the table…yeah, Mr. Finch was just as confused.

* * *

Still not acknowledging her, which hurt Rose more than she cared to admit, the Doctor took off the lid of the jar and was just about to dip his finger carelessly inside when the blond stopped him, "I wouldn't touch it, though, that dinner lady got all scalged." She warned quickly.

"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that." The Doctor just waved it off, like he did most probably dangerous things. Completely ignoring Rose's warning, he dipped his finger into the oil and smeared the liquid onto the sensor that K9 had put out.

"Come on clever boy, come on." Kayla whispered encouragingly, causing the Doctor to beam at her.

After a slight pause, K9 started to speak in his adorable voice, _"Oil. Ex- ex- ex- extract ana- an- analyzing..." _He stuttered out as he processed the oil.

Mickey let out a hoot of laughter, "Listen to it, man! That's a voice!" He chortled, a wide grin on his face.

Sarah Jane sent him a fierce glare, "Careful! That's my dog!" Ashamed, he actually did like Sarah Jane, Mickey stared down at the floor sheepishly, a muttered apology coming from his lips.

"_Confirmation of analysis - substance is Krillitane Oil._" At the words that K9 had…uttered, the Doctor and Kayla lost their happiness.

The Doctor felt his hearts skip a beat, "They're Krillitanes." He breathed out.

Kayla, however, stayed silent. It wasn't that she wasn't worried, with the Doctor's luck, he would get himself killed, but it was because of the _pain _in her chest. It felt like heartburn…but somehow, it was incredibly worse. It had been happening off and on ever since New New Earth, but she had dismissed it. It was probably nothing, just like the trouble sleeping, or the cravings for bananas…

Dismissing it once again, Kayla threw herself into the conversation just in time to hear the Doctor say, "An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry-pick the best bits from the people they destroy. That's why I didn't recognize them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks." He was explaining to the completely lost Mickey, slightly lost Rose, and the equally slightly lost Sarah Jane.

Still feeling bad, Kayla raised an eyebrow, "Long necks?" She asked, but the Doctor just shook his head.

"It's the children. They're doing something to the children." The Time Lord said suddenly in horrible realization.

* * *

Being a Krillitane had its perks, amazing hearing and a mental bond just happened to be two of many. Mr. Finch and the Krillitane glanced at each other before the Krillitane let out a screech that could, and did make any bird jealous.

* * *

Perhaps it was just how connected the Doctor was to Kayla, because, despite her insisting that she was "fine," the Time Lord had forced her to stay at the chip shop with himself and Rose while Mickey and Sarah Jane put K9 back into her car.

While there was no doubt a conversation that the other two were having, Rose was more interested in the Doctor and Kayla, the latter who had obviously taken a turn for the worse. Her skin was paler, but that could have been the light, she was shivering despite the warm temperature, and looked exhausted.

"You okay?" the Doctor whispered, which was, of course, a completely pointless question.

Kayla gave a slight nod, rubbing her chest, "Fine." She muttered, but at the look that the Doctor gave her, she finally broke, "Chest pain," the Doctor looked worried, "tiredness, which is bringing a headache," the Time Lord seemed more troubled, "and freezing." The Doctor looked more upset than Rose had ever seen him looked before.

Wrapping his arms around her in an effort to keep her warm, the Doctor tried to console his literally hot girlfriend, "I can't get you back to the TARDIS but Sarah Jane will have stuff at her place."

From above, Mr. Finch's voice suddenly rang out, "Time Lord." He stated simply.

Shocked, the Doctor, Kayla, and Rose looked up at the roof. Running back, Sarah Jane and Mickey also stared up at the principal. While they all gaped up, they were nearly attacked by the Krillitane that had swooped down, and if not for their quick ducking…luckily it jut flew away.

"Was that a Krillitane?" Sarah Jane asked.

Rose rolled her eyes. Duh, it was, "But it didn't even touch her, it just flew off! What did it do that for?" Rose pointed out, to her, a much better question.

* * *

Kayla shivered in the bed that sat in the guest bedroom of Sarah Jane Smith's house. Despite the Doctor cuddling into her, and the heavy blankets, she was still cold. Somehow, even though she wasn't comfortable, she had fallen asleep, mostly due to the Doctor using the mental link they had somehow formed.

While she slept, the Doctor watched over her, too worried to sleep. He _had _to take care of her; he promised her father that he would. Of course, since he was awake, he could think about _why _they had a mental link.

It could have been a number of reasons, he had decided at 2 AM, yet the one his mind kept circling to was that they were romantically involved. On Gallifrey, Time Lords and their Ladies had stronger mental bonds when they were romantically together than regular ones; due to how much time they spent mentally together.

Another reason for their bond, the Doctor had realized, was that they had kissed. Time Lords and Ladies didn't just kiss because they were couples. There was little to no physical contact with couples, some old rule. Instead, they just _talked _with each other via mind. Couple with how much time they had spent together, it was no wonder that they had a mental connection.

Kayla let out a little sound, causing the Doctor to break away from his pondering to look down at her. She looked so innocent, and perfect, and…he loved her. Sure, he had loved all his companions, Sarah Jane was a prime example of that, but in all honesty, he had never let himself get too attached. Time Lords were like gods when compared to humans. They withered and died, but Time Lords lived on. He could _never _get too attached to any of his companions because they would leave him, one way or another.

As if she sensed his thoughts taking a darker turn, which did actually make sense, Kayla let out another noise. On reflex, he wrapped his arms around her tighter, wanting to reassure her.

What he knew he _had _to tell her was that since they kissed, they had started something big. On Gallifrey, when Time Lords and their Ladies found someone they loved with both hearts. Someone they just couldn't live without, then they got married and Bonded. But how could he tell her that they had started it? If he said it the wrong way, then all hell could break lose.

Despite not being tired he yawned. On an impulse, he snuggled into Kayla and closed his suddenly heavy eyes. His last thoughts before he went to sleep:_ Why was he so tired? _

* * *

The next morning would find Sarah Jane, Rose, Mickey, a sick Kayla, and a pouting Doctor striding towards the school. Sometime after the Doctor had fallen asleep, Kayla's low grade fever broke, which made her insist on joining the others. The Doctor…hadn't liked that. Actually, that was an understatement. They had a quiet talking match, the Doctor not wanting to yell at her, much to the amusement of the others.

"Rose and Sarah, you go to the Maths room. We need to see that hardware inside." Kayla told them, her voice showing just how sick she was, which made the Doctor pout even more.

Despite this, he moved to take out his sonic, "Here, you might need this." After years of doing it, he handed it to Sarah Jane, unaware that Rose was holding her hand out.

Kayla rolled her eyes at the Doctor's goof, "Mickey - surveillance. I want you outside." At the order, Mickey made a face.

"Just stand outside?" He whined more than asked. For London, it was rather hot.

Sarah Jane looked like she was about to laugh, "Here, take these - you can keep K9 company." She threw him her car keys which he barely caught.

Starting to leave him behind, the Doctor called over his shoulder, "Don't forget to leave the window open a crack."

"But he's metal!" Mickey protested.

Kayla let out a sigh and took the Doctor's hand, "He didn't mean for you." She muttered to herself, causing the Doctor to let out a chuckle before he remembered that he was supposed to be cross with her.

* * *

Mr. Finch, wearing his shiny black shoes, walked down a crowded corridor. The hair on the back of his neck rose as he felt someone's eyes purposely on him. Taking his time, he glanced above him to see John Smith and a rather sick Kayla leaning on the stairway. Both were looking down at him and not making any attempt to hide it. Not knowing whether to be angry at them or smile at how stupid they were, he gave them a hard stare that most would run away from. Instead, they didn't. Now knowing they were completely stupid, Mr. Finch started up the stairs and so did John Smith and Kayla.

* * *

The only completely abandon room was the swimming pool, something that Kayla and the Doctor knew, so they led Mr. Finch there. Only when Kayla glanced behind her did they see that he was gone. Worried, they ran the rest away to the room where Mr. Finch waited for them on one side of the pool. Automatically, they went to the other.

"Who are you?" Kayla asked, still sounding sick.

Mr. Finch studied them for a second, "My name is Brother Lassa. And you?" he waved one of his hands towards the Doctor and Kayla.

The Doctor glanced over at Kayla, wondering if she was going to answer, but she gave no sign of speaking, "The Doctor." He finally answered, "And she's Kayla. Since when did Krillitanes have wings?"

Mr. Finch gave a small smile, "It's been our form for nearly ten generations, now. Our ancestors invaded Bessan. The people there had some rather lovely wings. They made a million widows in one day, just imagine."

The Doctor and Kayla chose _not _to imagine it, "So now you're human." Kayla stated, looking a tad bit paler.

Mr. Finch's eyebrows rose up, "A personal favorite, that's all." He dismissed.

"And the others?" the Doctor wondered.

Mr. Finch just smiled, "My brothers remain bat form. What you see is a simple morphic illusion. Scratch the surface and the true Krillitane lies beneath." Automatically the three began to walk towards the same side of the pool, "And what of the Time Lords? I always thought of you as such a pompous race. Ancient, dusty senators, so frightened of change and...chaos. And of course - they're all but extinct. Only you. The last."

Kayla glanced over at the Doctor to see his jaw twitching with barely concealed anger, "This plan of yours - what is it?" She asked quickly, giving the Time Lord time to calm down.

At the question, Mr. Finch seemed shocked, "You both don't know."

Kayla just rolled her eyes, "Why do you think I'm asking?"

The three were facing each other, rivals staring down at each other. The tension in the room was nearly unbearable, and it was rising. Mr. Finch didn't seemed too bothered though, "Well, show me how clever you are. Work it out." He commanded with a smirk.

The Doctor stare right back at Mr. Finch, "If I don't like it...then it will stop." He stated.

Mr. Finch tilted his head, studying the Doctor and the Doctor only, "Fascinating." He started, observing as the Doctor stood proud. Beside him, Kayla sneezed into her elbow. It really was fascinating, "Your people were peaceful to the point of indolence. You seem to be something new." The Doctor flinched, "And you, Miss Kayla Harkness. You are most definitely your father's daughter." Kayla let out a gasp as if she had been slapped, "Would you declare war on us, Doctor, Kayla?"

The Doctor squeezed Kayla's hand, his voice soft, "I'm so old, now. I used to have so much mercy." He stared straight at Mr. Finch, "You get one warning. That was it." Leaving it at that, the Doctor and Kayla and began to walk away.

"But we're not even enemies. Soon...you will embrace us." Mr. Finch promised, a smile growing as the Doctor and Kayla glanced back, "The next time we meet, you will both join with me. I promise you." This time, it was Mr. Finch who left the Doctor and Kayla, a knowing smile on his face.

* * *

Mickey winded the car window down. It had been harder than he rather admit. Wincing at himself, he folded his arms and pouted, "'Surveillance.' If you ask me, it's just another way of saying 'go sit at the back of the class with the safety scissors and glitter.'" He scoffed to himself. Sighing, he glanced over at K9. Though he was switched off, his little metal head poked through the gap between the front seats. He sighed, "That'd be me talking to a metal dog, then."

* * *

Kayla waited outside the teacher's lounge, sneezing into her elbow for what had to be the fiftieth time. It was hard to look very casual while tons of students looked at her curiously. Finally, the Doctor opened the door and came out, a cup of tea in his hands.

"Thanks." Kayla muttered as she took it from him.

* * *

Sarah Jane Smith crouched beneath one of the many computer desks as she tried to switch the sonic screwdriver on. Annoyed, she came out and banged the keyboard. Glancing down, she looked at the screwdriver, trying to figure out what she had done wrong. She _had _to get it right, or else Rose, who was sitting in a chair nearby with her legs crossed, would be unbearable.

"It's not working!" She cried out in frustration.

Rose dramatically rolled her eyes, a smirk plainly on her face, "Give it to me." She held her hand out, her request more of an order.

Though she obviously didn't want to, Sarah Jane held out her hand to Rose, allowing the blond to take the sonic screwdriver. With a roll of her eyes, she ducked underneath the desk, "Used to work first time in my day." Sarah Jane muttered.

Under the desk, Rose rolled her eyes, "Well, things were a lot simpler back then." She shot back as the screwdriver buzzed as she held it to the back of the computer.

"Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?" Sarah Jane said suddenly, making Rose once again roll her eyes.

Straightening up, Rose gave Sarah Jane a fierce glare, "I've got a feeling you're about to." She hissed.

Sarah Jane flinched just a bit, "I know how intense it is when you have feelings for the Doctor-" She started.

Rose let out something similar to a growl, "I do NOT," she hissed out loudly, "Have _any _feelings for the Doctor." She finished with a spat.

"Right." Sarah Jane drew out the word sarcastically, just causing Rose's jaw to twitch in anger, "Because from what I've seen, you're interested with starting something with him." Sarah Jane smirked when Rose flinched.

Rose's jaw looked like it was doing some sort of dance, "Really? 'Cause I think _you're _the one who wants to start something. With the big sad eyes and the robot dog? What else were you doing last night?" This time, it was Rose who smirked while Sarah Jane flinched at her words.

Sarah Jane watched as the smirk grew on Rose's face as she stuttered out her excuse, "I was just saying how hard it was adjusting to life back on Earth..."

Smirking broadly, Rose started to walk away a few paces, "The thing is...when you two met...they'd only just got rid of rationing. No wonder all that space stuff was a bit too much for ya." She pointed out harshly.

Sarah Jane, not thinking it over, took the bait and walked over to her, "I had no problem with space stuff. I saw things you wouldn't believe." She protested.

Rose just smirked some more and raised an eyebrow, "Try me." She suggested coldly, crossing her arms.

"Mummies." Sarah Jane spat.

"I've met ghosts." Rose countered.

"Robots. Lots of robots." Sarah Jane argued back.

"Slitheen. In Downing Street." Rose shot straight back to her.

"Daleks!" Sarah Jane cried out.

Rose just snorted, "Met the Emperor." She dismissed.

It was obvious that Sarah Jane was grasping for straws now, "Anti-Matter monsters." She stated.

"Gas masked zombies." Rose spat to her.

"Real living dinosaurs!" Sarah Jane protested weakly.

"Real living werewolf!" Rose countered with ease.

"The Loch Ness Monster!" Sarah Jane cried out.

The smirk that had been present for the whole time slid off Rose's face as her eyebrows furrowed together, "... Seriously?" She inquired.

Sarah Jane gave something of a nod as she put both hands over her mouth and shook her head. Rose started to smile and even laughed a bit, "Listen to us. It's like me and my mate Shireen. The only time we fell out was over a man, and...we're arguing over the Doctor, when we don't even have him." She pointed out.

A slight bit of darkness fell over the two. Looking down, Sarah Jane leaned against the desk, aware of Rose studying her, "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety-miles-per-hour, and you'd go, 'what?' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?" She asked softly.

Sarah Jane smiled widely at the memories, "All the time!" She answered as they both started to laugh, "Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?"

Rose nodded, "Yeah! Yeah! He does! I'm like, 'do you two wanna be alone?' And then Kayla hits him the shoulder." They started to laugh madly at the memories.

The Doctor and Kayla, hand in hand, wandered into the lab to see Sarah Jane and Rose laughing about something. Kayla started to smile, happy that her…friends, if that was the right word, were happy and being nice to each other. By the way they were acting around each other before, it was not stupid to think they were going to fight.

"How's it going?" The Doctor asked, but for some reason, the sight of the two just made Sarah Jane laugh harder. The Doctor tilted his head, "What? Listen, I need to find out what's programmed inside these." Of course, the two took no notice to the demanding Doctor. Instead, they continued to laugh hysterically and Rose pointed the sonic screwdriver at him, "What? Stop it!" the Doctor protested, completely and utterly confused.

* * *

Mr. Finch entered his office where the rest of the staff, who were actually his brothers, sat around the table, "Brothers, we must initiate the final phase. Get the children inside and seal the school. Our time has come, my brothers. Today we shall become Gods." He commanded.

* * *

Outside in the sunlight, the children were on the playground acting like normal kids. It was times like these that Kenny felt truly alone. As always, he sat on a bench and watched the other play football, laugh, and just generally have a good time.

Then, the loudspeaker that had, until then, never been used, crackled to life, "All pupils to class immediately. And would all members of staff congregate in the staff room."

At once, the children began to head inside without any hesitation, except for Kenny. Instead, he watched as his old friends hurried past him. Melissa paused for a moment as she was passing, no longer the sad girl from before, "Breaktime's finished early. Isn't that fantastic?!" She exclaimed before leaving. Only when everyone else was either inside or nearly did Kenny head towards the doors himself.

* * *

The children clambered to get inside the computer lab that the Doctor, Kayla, and Sarah Jane were in, but Rose shouted out them, "No, no - this classroom's out of bounds. You've all gotta go to the South Hall. Off you go, South Hall!" She ordered. Though she was an adult, only the fact that she hadn't moved made the kids head off. Finally, Rose shut the door.

* * *

Mr. Finch and his brothers entered the staffroom. Mr. Parsons was the only one who stood up, the most annoyed, "What is it now, Mr. Finch?" He asked in a mocking tone.

Despite this, Mr. Finch didn't even seem to be bothered, "Slight change in the timetable. We're having an early lunch." He answered coldly.

Mr. Wagner closed the door, which was a very good thing since soon the screams of the teachers and the shrieks of the Krillitanes had started.

* * *

The Doctor was ripping handfuls of wires from out of the computer. Next to him, Kayla looked and was bored as she held the sonic screwdriver in one hand while the other had her tea. When the Doctor held out a hand, wires now around his neck, Kayla rolled her eyes and handed him the screwdriver so that he could run it along the back of the computer.

Sarah Jane, biting her lip, sat down next to Kayla and gave her a worried look. The look grew when the Doctor grumbled out, "I can't shift it."

"It's deadlocked." Kayla muttered leaning in for a closer look. The Doctor just let out an annoyed sigh and nodded.

* * *

Despite not being anywhere near how smart his old friends were now, Kenny was smart enough to know that their eagerness was completely wrong. So it was not that bad when he was left outside because he had lagged behind so much.

* * *

After a wonderful meal, if a bit stringy, Mr. Finch went into his office and sat behind the desk, "Close the school." He ordered. With a few delicate taps on the keyboard, the screen flashed with, **SECURITY OVERRIDE. **Smirking to himself, Mr. Finch sat back in his chair.

* * *

Meanwhile, every single exit to the school slammed shut.

* * *

Mr. Wagner feverishly brought up the code onto the computer screens. Already wearing their headphones, it didn't take the students any time to snap forwards and start to type furiously as a green code scrolled down their screens.

* * *

Sarah Jane stared at the large screen in the front of the room, "You wanted the program - there it is." She told the Doctor and Kayla.

Confused, the two turned to face the screen, only to see a green code scrolling quickly down the screen, "It's just a code." Kayla stated, tilting her head.

* * *

Kenny ran down the corridors, looking into every room only to see all the children immersed in their computer screens, an odd green light bathing their faces. Terrified, he ran to the front of the doors, only to find that the doors were sealed shut. He rattled them, only to see a black man get out of a car, looking confused.

* * *

The Doctor, now impersonating a fish, had his mouth wide open in what Kayla could see was horror, "No...no, they can't be..." He gasped at whatever idea he had come up with.

* * *

Though he knew that the man couldn't hear him, Kenny mouthed the words to him, "They've taken them all!"

If anything, the man looked more confused than before, "What?" He seemed to have asked.

"They've taken all the children!" Kenny mouthed again.

* * *

All Mickey knew was that he had to get in the school. Running back to the car, he sat down and ripped the blanket off of K9 and pressed some random buttons, "Come on, I need some help!" He shouted. But apparently the metal dog had an attitude and didn't want to move.

Annoyed, he whacked the dog on the head, but since nothing happened he looked away helplessly, _"System restarting. All primary drives functioning."_ K9 suddenly squeaked out, sounding a tad bit harsher than he had with the Doctor.

Mickey smiled widely, "You're working! Okay, no time to explain, we need to get inside the school. Do you have like, I dunno, a lock picking device?" he suggested.

"_We are in a car."_ K9 stated simply.

Mickey let out a groan, "...Maybe a drill attachment?" He muttered.

"_We are in_ a car." It repeated.

Mickey glared at the dog, wondering if it was worth making the Doctor angry by throwing it through the window, "Fat lot of good, you are." He grumbled to himself, not really meaning to speak out loud.

"_We are in a car." _

Then, it hit him, "Wait a second...we're in a car." Obviously the dog had picked up a lot from the Doctor, because it tilted his head at him as if to say, 'really?' But Mickey didn't care. Overjoyed that he had _some_ sort of use, he ran back near to the doors, "Get back!" He shouted, but the boy just squinted.

* * *

The Doctor had literally dragged Rose into the room as he lectured the three on…whatever it was, and for once, Kayla was with Rose on the unknowing scale, "The Skasis Paradigm. They're trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm."

Kayla let out a little gasp, "But that's a myth." She protested.

"I'm a myth." He pointed out.

Sarah Jane glanced at the two, waiting for someone to explain what they were talking about, "The Skasis what?" She asked, seeing no explanation, no elaboration, about to happen.

Kayla waved her hand in a dismissive way at the two, "But it can't be real." She argued, "It's already been proven that it's fake."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair, starting to pace, "Not here. The God-maker. Universal theory really." He started.

"The theory is," Kayla interrupted, "if it's cracked, it can give the person total control of the universe." Looking angry that she didn't understand it, she turned to the Doctor, "But it doesn't work. They should know that. Why don't they?"

The Doctor shrugged, "They don't believe it." He suggested weakly.

"But what about the children!" Rose interrupted, "Are they like, giant computers or something?"

The Doctor barely glanced over at her, "Yes." He stated simply, already starting to pace as his mind moved on from the question, "And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil! That oil from the kitchens, it works as a- as a...conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer."

Kayla glanced over at Rose, who looked just as troubled as the brunet felt, "Rose, fifty-nine times thirty-five?" She questioned suddenly.

"Two thousand and sixty five." Rose stated without hesitation, "Oh my God..." She breathed out in horror.

Having been silent the whole time, Sarah Jane cut in, "But why use children? Can't they use adults?" She pointed out.

Kayla raised her eyebrow, "That's a good question…I actually don't know. Doctor?"

Needing no other prompting, the Doctor took off, "No, it's gotta be children. The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They're not just using the children's brains to break the code...they're using their souls." The Doctor breathed the last part out in horror. If there was one thing he could not stand, it was children in danger.

Kayla gave a sudden shout of surprise, her pistol already out and pointed at Mr. Finch, "At ease." The Krillitane in disguise commanded. When she didn't move, Mr. Finch shot a look at the Doctor, "I suggest you tell Miss Harkness to throw her gun onto the floor. Otherwise, the consequences could be disastrous." Mr. Finch licked his lips, obviously liking those consequences.

Very slowly, the Doctor removed the gun from Kayla's grip and threw it onto the floor. Pleased, Mr. Finch gave the group a cold smile, "Think of it Doctor," he started, addressing the Time Lord only, "by what you just displayed, you are smart you must see that with the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it."

"Oh yeah? The whole of creation with the face of Mr. Finch. Call me old fashioned, but I like things as they are." The Doctor retorted, giving Mr. Finch the hardest glare he could manage.

Mr. Finch rolled his eyes, "You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order. Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good."

Kayla barked out a laugh, "What, by someone like you?" She asked in a harsh, mocking tone.

Mr. Finch gave her a look, "No... someone like you." He smirked at Kayla as she blinked in shock, "The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a God. At my side. Imagine what you could do – Find your father and fix him. You could have your daughter again. You, Lucy, and the Doctor together. Standing tall. You could have another child, one that would survive and be yours and the Doctor's."

Throughout Mr. Finch's whole speech, Kayla said nothing. And when he stopped, Kayla still didn't say anything, "Kayla." The Doctor said suddenly, "Don't listen to him." He tried.

Instantly, Mr. Finch turned to the Time Lord, "And what about you, Doctor? Think of the civilizations you could save. Perganon, Assinta...your own people, Doctor. Standing tall. The Time Lords...reborn." The Doctor too was stunned into silence as the man finally turned to Sarah Jane and Rose, "And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young... fresh... never wither, never age... never die. Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes. How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us."

"I could have Jack, and Lucy…" Kayla whispered softly.

"I could save everyone..." The Doctor added in, just as tempted as Kayla.

"Yes." Mr. Finch hissed.

"I could have a child…I could stop the war..." He whispered out.

"We could have a child." Kayla agreed.

While Mr. Finch smiled, Sarah Jane cut in desperately, "No. The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss - they define us as much as happiness or love." Mr. Finch closed his eyes, "Whether it's a world, or a relationship...everything has its time. And everything ends." Her voice trembling with emotions, Sarah Jane watched as the Doctor and Kayla seemed to listen to her words.

Letting out a shriek like an animal, Kayla slapped Mr. Finch roughly while the Doctor threw a chair and watched with satisfaction as it smashed the screen displaying the code, "Out!" He roared out the order, already grabbing Kayla's arm and drawing her back for the now bruised Mr. Finch.

* * *

Mickey, who had started his car, drove it straight through the luckily glass doors, "Come on!" He called, motioning to Kenny, who's mouth was gaping open in sock.

* * *

Mr. Finch stood on the stairs. Opening his mouth, he let out an unearthly scream which echoed throughout the school. After a few seconds, Mr. Wagner and two other disguised Krillitanes paused and then morphed into their true, bat forms.

* * *

By pure dumb luck Kenny and Mickey met up with the Doctor, Rose, Kayla, and Sarah Jane Smith at the bottom of the stairs, "What is going on?" Mickey asked.

As if to answer his question, the three Krillitanes that had responded to Mr. Finch's cry half fly, half claw their way down the corridor. Seeing this, Kayla and the others turned on their and ran in the opposite direction. Of course, behind them, the Krillitanes separated at the end of the corridor, but only one chased them.

Kayla, the Doctor, Rose, Sarah Jane, Kenny, and Mickey ran into the dinner hall and tried the doors on the other side, but they were locked. Before the Doctor could unlock it with his sonic screwdriver, Kayla used her sonic blaster to make the door disappear.

"In!" She ordered as behind them, the doors were flung open by the Krillitanes and Mr. Finch.

"Are they my teachers?" Kenny asked.

The Doctor made a face, "Yeah. Sorry."

If Mr. Finch was insulted by Kenny's comment, he gave no indication of it, "Leave the Doctor and Kayla alive. As for the others...you can feast." He ordered to his brothers.

Instantly, the Krillitanes swooped down on the group. Thinking quickly, the Doctor grabbed a chair and started to try and beat them off with it. Kayla started to use her gun, but her hands were suddenly shaking.

Like before, she was starting to feel…well bad. Her hands shaking, she knew she was starting to pale, and if she concentrated, she could hear her heart beating _way _too fast to be safe. What the hell was wrong with her?

Thankfully, K9 came to the rescue! Using his built in gun, he shot a Krillitane, sending it to the floor, dead. Mr. Finch roared in rage at the sight of his fallen brother.

"K9!" Sarah Jane called out with glee.

K9 looked up at her, _"Suggest you engage running mode, Mistress Jane." _ He stated in his cute voice.

The Doctor grabbed Kayla's still shaking hand, a flash of concern going across his face at how warm she was, yet she was becoming paler by the minute, "Come on!" He shouted to the others in agreement with K9. Holding Kayla's hand, the Doctor got the others to run, leaving K9 behind, "K9, hold them back!" the Doctor called back to his dog.

K9 wagged his tail, _"Affirmative, Master. Maximum defense mode!" _Sort of grinning, the Doctor ushered Kayla and then all the others in.

"Come on!" He called to them. Finally, once they were in, he slammed the door and locked it with his sonic screw driver, leaving K9 behind.

K9 was still shooting the Krillitanes, _"Power supply failing." _He barked out, seeming to expect his master to come out and save him too.

Mr. Finch glared down at the metal dog that had killed one of his brothers, "Forget the shooty dog thing." He sighed out to his remaining brothers.

"_Power supply failing." _K9 repeated just before he reached the end of his power supply and switched off, very easy prey.

* * *

Somehow, the Doctor had gotten the group and Kayla into the physics lab where he was pacing, "It's the oil." He said suddenly, "Krillitane life forms can't handle the oil! That's it! They've changed the physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them." He swiveled around so that he was facing Rose, "How much was there in the kitchens?" He asked her quickly.

Rose paused for a second, "Barrels of it." She answered.

Only then did the Krillitanes started to pound on the doors, probably with their claws, which was right because said claws started to rip holes in the door like it was paper.

Running a hand through his spiked hair, the Doctor looked over at the door, "Okay, we need to get to the kitchens. Mickey—"

"What now, hold the coats?" He asked harshly with a roll of his eyes.

Kayla glared at him, "Unplug the students," The Doctor glanced over at her sharply at her weak her voice was, "and get them out of the building. Keep. Them. Safe." She finished with a growl.

The Doctor gave her a worried look, "Now then, bats, bats, bats, how do we fight bats?" He said, trying to sound upbeat.

Ignoring the Doctor, Kenny strode over to the fire alarm, and with one well-placed elbow, he set it off. Immediately, the Krillitanes winced and cried out with pain at the piercing sound. Beaming at the sound, the Doctor flung open the door, yet no Krillitanes attacked them due to their pain. Running quickly past, only a few of them noticed Mr. Finch gritting his teeth as he punched through the wall and drew out the wires for the alarm.

"Get after them." He ordered. Not looking past to see if the others were following him, he stalked down the staircase. After a few seconds, the three others followed.

* * *

Kayla and the rest ran down the corridor, when, luckily, K9 emerged from a doorway, _"Master! Mistress Jane! Mistress Harkness!" _His tail wagged with happiness about finding them.

* * *

"Come on, boy! Good boy." The Doctor called, waving the metal dog along.

* * *

Mickey ran into the computer lab, "Okay, listen everyone - we've gotta get out of here." But no one noticed him at all. Shocked, he looked at the children and saw, much to his horror, that they were all wearing headphones connected to the computer.

Heading over to the closest child, Mickey waved his hand in front of her face, but she was too immersed in the green code to notice it.

* * *

The Doctor dragging Kayla, Sarah Jane, Rose, K9, and Kenny all ran into the kitchens. Immediately, the Doctor, not letting go of Kayla's hand, headed over to the oil barrels and soniced it with his free hand.

"That's not going to work." Kayla warned just as the Doctor cried out in frustration, "They've been deadlock sealed."

Rolling her eyes with a quiet, "Duh." Kayla watched as the Doctor ran over to another barrel.

"Finch must've done that - I can't open them." He complained.

Kayla ran her hand over the barrel next to her, "I could open it…" She started.

The Doctor shook his head, "No. You're sick, who knows what that will do to you." He shot to her before she could finish.

Opening her mouth to protest, the Doctor gave her a very sharp look. It was only then that K9 trundled forwards, _"The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser. But my batteries are failing." _The metal dog reported.

The Doctor's face fell, "Right. Everyone out the back door. K9, stay with me." Obediently, Sarah Jane, Rose, and Kenny ran out the backdoor, but Kayla stayed. The Doctor glanced over at her, "I said everyone." He pointed out.

"Yes, but I'm not leaving you." The brunet promised. Giving him a weak smile, she grabbed his hand and held it as the Time Lord crouched in front of his K9.

* * *

Mickey thought he knew a lot about computers, and compared to most, he did. But when it came to something like this, he was all but lost. Suddenly, he was the tin dog again. He couldn't figure out what to do. How was he supposed to unplug the children?

As he stared at the code on the head computer, it took him a few more minutes of panicking to actually notice the room around him, which led him to the protective, plastic coverings over the wires that were on the flowers. Carefully, he followed the winding wires, only to see that the wires led into one plug…one plug for all the computers.

Nearly letting out a laugh, Mickey didn't even bother to think about the consequences. Instead, he _lived. _With one mighty pull, he ripped out the plug from the wall, sparks flying from it. At the same time the computers went dead.

"Everyone get out, now!" Blinking in a mixture of confusion and shock, the children listened to the only adult in the room and moved towards the door, "Come on, move! Let's go, let's go!" Mickey's call followed them.

* * *

The Krillitanes flew down the stairs. In a few blinks of an eye, the group morphed back into Mr. Finch, Wagner, the dinner ladies, and a few other teachers hurried down the remaining stairs.

* * *

Sneezing into her elbow, Kayla watched as the Doctor carefully moved the oil barrel into easy shooting distance of K9, but the metal dog just looked at it, _"Capacity for only one shot, Master and Mistress Kayla. For maximum impact, I must be placed directly beside the vat." _He explained.

Kayla and the Doctor rushed towards him, "But you'll be trapped!" Kayla cried out in protest. Kneeling down, she wrapped her arms around the metal dog.

K9 let his tail drop as he turned his head into Kayla's hug, _"That is correct." _He agreed with her.

"No!" She retorted, tightening her arms around the dog.

"_No alternative possible, Mistress Kayla." _K9 said.

The screeching of the Krillitanes echoed as they grew closer, causing Kayla to tighten her arms and the Doctor to look worriedly behind him. They were running out of time. Moving towards the brunet, he carefully grabbed her arms and used those to drag her up. Though she protested, and kicked just a bit, maybe cried too, she eventually collapsed into a crying heap in the Time Lord's arms.

"Goodbye, old friend." The Doctor told K9 softly, his voice full of pain.

Kayla let out a small, quiet sob, "You were, and always will be, my favorite companion." She promised.

K9 tail perked up just a bit at the promise, _"Goodbye Master and Mistress Kayla." _

The Doctor hugged Kayla to him tighter, "You good dog." He stated.

K9 nodded his head, _"Affirmative." _With a very cute waggle of his ears and tails, the Doctor gave his dog a small smile.

Kayla however, realizing what he was doing, starting to sob loudly and fight against the Doctor, "Doctor. Stop!" She nearly screamed, but the Doctor continued to carry her out the door. Keeping one hand on her arm, the Doctor locked the door with his sonic screwdriver.

* * *

Sarah Jane expected the Doctor to show up holding hands with Kayla, K9 at their heels. She didn't expect for the Doctor to be holding a struggling, sobbing Kayla with no metal dog at all, "Where's K9?" She asked urgently.

The one grief filled look Kayla gave her was all she needed, yet the sobbing, sick brunet still answered, "I'm sorry." Was all she said.

The Doctor moved his arms from around Kayla only to take her hand tightly, "We need to run." He warned, more of ordered, to his former companion.

Sarah Jane stared at Kayla and the Doctor, "What've you done?" she asked. After a few seconds of Sarah Jane just standing there, still holding Kayla's hand, the Doctor grabbed Sarah Jane with his other hand and got her to run, eventually letting it go.

* * *

Mr. Finch and his brothers entered the kitchen, "When you find them...eat their if you must, but bring me his brain, and for the girl...oh I don't care, just kill her." He ordered to his siblings.

* * *

Checking behind to make sure Sarah Jane was still following them, the Doctor dragged Kayla behind him, she still crying.

* * *

K9 raised his head as the Krillitanes looked down at him, "The little dog with a nasty bite." Mr. Finch mocked. Bending down, he whispered slightly, "Not so powerful now, are you?" He teased with a smirk.

K9 simply shoot his laser at one of the barrels of oil. Instantly, it exploded over the Krillitanes, who screamed in pain.

* * *

Due to his weakness, Mickey got caught up in the crowd of children who were running out of the school, "Come on, guys! Let's go, let's go!" He continued to repeat.

* * *

The Krillitanes, being effected by the oil, wailed and writhed in agony, "Burning!" a dinner lady screamed out.

"You bad dog." Mr. Finch called to K9.

K9 wagged his tail, _"Affirmative." _He agreed.

* * *

The school exploded, but thankfully, the children were assembled outside. Staring at the fires of what used to be their school, they did what any self-respecting child would do, they broke into cheers and applause. Caught up in the joy, Rory and Amy joined in, hugging each other tightly and grinning manically.

"Yes!" Kenny cried out.

Melissa turned to him, "Did you have something to do with it?" She wondered.

Kenny smirked, "Yeah, I did." He answered.

Melissa's mouth dropped open in surprise, "Oh my God." Cupping her hands around her lips, she yelled out to the others, "Kenny blew up the school! It was Kenny!" She reported.

The children started to cheer harder than ever, chanting Kenny's name and a few even patted him on the back.

Yet the Doctor, Kayla, and Sarah Jane stood separate. Kayla was drying her tears, her face blotched up with red as she snuggled into the Doctor's side, his arm around her. Beside the couple, was a distraught Sarah Jane.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor offered softly.

"I tried." Kayla added in.

Sarah Jane waved her hand, her voice was unusually quick as she spoke, "It's all right. He was just a... daft metal dog. Fine, really." And she broke into tears. Kayla moved away from the Doctor and hugged the former companion, her tears starting up as well. Letting out something akin to a groan, the Doctor hugged both of them.

* * *

The Doctor had found the TARDIS, it was perfectly fine, and had landed it in a pretty park. The day outside was beautiful, but it was all glamour. Despite following Kayla's idea for K9, the brunet was still very emotional over the loss over the metal dog, and the Time Lord couldn't blame her.

So the Doctor sat on the captain's chair next to a red faced Kayla, one arm was slung around her shoulders as they watched Rose and Mickey….flirt, though it was mostly Mickey who doing the romantic stuff.

Getting up suddenly, the Doctor headed to the doors and left the TARDIS, making sure to close the doors behind him. With a roll of her eyes, Kayla coughed deeply.

Only three more quick coughs were all the ex-Time Agent was able to produce before the Doctor opened the doors for Sarah Jane, who entered the TARDIS and looked at the interior.

"You've redecorated!" She cried to the Doctor.

The Doctor nodded, "Do you like it?" He wondered.

Sarah Jane looked around a bit more before she responded, "Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was, but uh…yeah. It'll do!"

Behind her turned back, Rose struggled not to make a face, "I love it." She stated, perhaps a little sharper than she had intended.

"Hey, you - what's forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?" Sarah Jane asked, a slightly forced smile on her face.

Rose shrugged, "No idea. It's gone now - the oil's faded."

"But you're still clever. More than a match for him. Especially since he's in love." Kayla and the Doctor blushed at Sarah Jane's implication.

Rose's smile became more fixed, "You and me both." She agreed, and Sarah Jane nodded.

The Doctor wrapped an arm around Kayla, "I'd offer for you to come with us," He started off, "But Kayla told me not to. Something about Mickey wanting to come and you needing to stop waiting for me." The Time Lord explained, somewhat awkwardly.

If Mickey had a tail, it would have been wagging. Instead, he settled for nodding enthusiastically, "Can I come?" He apparently had to ask, "'Cause I'm not the tin dog. And I wanna see what's out there." From behind him, Rose mouthed a clear, 'no,' to the Doctor and Kayla.

Sarah Jane, however, beamed, "Oh, go on, Doctor. Sarah Jane Smith - a Mickey Smith. You need a Smith on board!"

Kayla shrugged, "Why not." She stated simply.

Rose rolled her eyes while Mickey laughed in delight, but he stopped when he saw Rose's lack of enthusiasm, "Rose, is that okay?" He asked quickly.

"No, great. Why not?" The blond replied with obvious sarcasm.

An awkward silence fell upon the TARDIS until Sarah Jane cleared her throat, "Well, I'd better go." She stated.

* * *

It only took a few minutes of goodbyes for Kayla to be able to send out the remake of K9 to Sarah Jane, who beamed with happiness, who laughed, and maybe, just maybe, cried.

Watching onscreen, the Doctor and Kayla grinned, arm in arm, as Sarah Jane and K9 trundled home. Mickey and Rose god knows where.

Smiling, the Doctor turned off the screen and kissed Kayla deeply, "There's something we need to talk about." He told her once he had pulled back.

* * *

_Oh good old Sarah Jane! I've missed her! She's much better than the stupid Flower and the Idiot. But oh deer, Thief is going to tell Other Thief about their bond…about everything. SHUT UP FLOWER AND IDIOT! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE LIBRARY!_

* * *

**Ha, I love writing the TARDIS, she's so funny and wacky. **

**And oh my god, a review:**

**LilyMayRose: Thanks! **


	9. Interlude 2

Kayla smiled at the Doctor. She had no idea why he had insisted that they go to her room to talk, yet here they were, in her room, sitting on chairs facing each other.

"I have something to tell you." He repeated softly, seeming awkward and unsure, something unlike him. Kayla nodded, giving him a sign to continue. Instead, though the brunet thought that she _had _to be going crazy, she heard him say in her head, _'We have a mental link.' _

Kayla blinked, "What?" She tapped her head, "Did you just…" the Doctor nodded, "In my head?" Once again, the Doctor nodded, "But that's not possible!" the brunet protested.

This time, the Doctor shook his head, "Yes it is. Humans are largely mental, and that just strengths throughout the generations. Plus Time Lords are very telepathic. Due to our…romantic…relationship and how much physical contact we have together, we have a bond."

"Don't worry." He rushed to add, "You have strong mental walls, mostly because your brain isn't exactly made for a mental link, but I haven't looked or anything." The Doctor promised with a small smile, a careful look in his eyes as he studied her reaction.

Kayla…was in shock, and reasonably so. In a matter of minutes, she had found out that the Doctor and she had a mental link. In the 52nd Century, those were beyond rare, they were near impossible. Then again, so were Type 40 TARDISes and Time Lords. Sadly, the Doctor wasn't done.

'_And there's-' _He started in her head, "Sorry," he spoke out loud this time, "I just haven't done it in so long, it feels so…good." With a small shake of his head, the Time Lord continued, "On Gallifrey, Time Lord's had three options once they graduated and received their title. They could have a Chosen marriage, where usually their families picked out someone for them. That was the most common. It was easy to make good connections with others families if you had a…less than high ranking."

"Another one, which was done if the Time Lord or Lady did not like the person their families had chosen for them was simply not getting married. Your rankings fell but it was better than a loveless marriage, and since there was no such thing as divorce on Gallifrey…" The Doctor's voice faded away as if he was thinking of something unpleasant, "The last, and rarest, was getting Bonded. It's basically true love. You get Bonded and one of the steps is married.

Kayla titled her head, "Bonded?" She asked, rolling the word off her tongue like it was an interesting food.

The Doctor nodded, "Bonded." He agreed, "And Kayla, that's what we are." The Time Lord watched and waited for Kayla to react, and she did not disappoint.

First, she became pale, horribly so. Next, she glared at the Doctor. And last, she whimpered out, "You're saying that we're going to get married, that we're going to get Bonded, but I have no idea what the hell being Bonded means." Kayla pointed out, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

"It's a process." The Doctor started, pausing to think before he finished, "You kissed." Kayla glanced at his hands to see that he was counting down on them, "You get a mental connection." He continued, "You get married. And you…well…do _it._" Kayla and the Doctor both blushed, knowing full well what _it _was.

"So you think we're bonded." The ex-Time Agent stated.

The Doctor nodded, "Kayla, I have never loved anyone like I have loved you. You're my life, and I promised your father I would protect you." The Doctor moved towards her and pulled her up by her hands, and Kayla didn't resist, "I love you, and I will always love you." He wrapped his arms around her, "And I will never stop loving you." With that promise hanging in the air, he kissed Kayla deeply.

* * *

If it hadn't been for the traditions grilled into the Doctor's head, than he would have married and done _it _with Kayla right then and there, but he hadn't. Instead, the Time Lord and ex-Time Agent spoke about the subject that the two had naturally avoided: Kayla's father.

"Where is he?" Kayla asked. They were sitting in a small room the Doctor had said was his 9th's self favorite place to hide. It was his office.

The Doctor, more interested in Kayla's hand, which he was tracing patterns on, took a while before asking, "Who?"

Kayla gave him a sharp look, "You know who I'm talking about." She pointed out with a glare.

The Doctor nearly pouted, "Jack." He stated, and Kayla nodded, "Fine. I have no idea."

"Really?" Kayla huffed, aiming a disbelieving glare at the Time Lord.

The Doctor raised one hand in mock surrender, "Honestly!" He protested, "He's immortal but because the TARDIS couldn't stand that, I left him on Satellite 5."

Kayla lifted her hand from the Doctor's tracing, the Time Lord gave her a pout, and punched him harshly in the shoulder, "You left my dad on Satellite 5 because he's immortal?! HE'S IMMORTAL?! WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!" She shouted, her face growing red.

"Oi! You're still sick. No yelling or you'll hurt your throat." Despite his babying, when Kayla raised her fist, the Doctor flinched, "He's a fixed point in time and space because _you _brought him back. I have no idea when or where he is, but if we're going to meet him, we will." He answered softly.

Kayla let out something close to a sob, and soon, the Doctor hugging and rubbing her back as the ex-Time Agent sobbed into his shirt, letting out all the hurt over her father.

"I will find him." She promised at one point, "I will search for him and find my father."

* * *

It had taken much persuading on the Doctor's part to convince Kayla to go to the med-bay and get checked out, but it was only then when the Time Lord found something…troubling. As it turned out, the mental connection between the two was having an effect on Kayla. Whether it was positive or negative, he couldn't figure out. Kayla was sure that it was positive, but he wasn't.

"I'm going to be a Time Lady." Kayla stated randomly.

The Doctor nodded with a sigh, "Sadly, yes." He agreed.

"But how?"

"The mental connection." The Doctor answered.

Kayla shook her head, "How long until I'm fully Time…Lady?"

The Doctor just gestured to a screen where **40% **flashed clearly, "I'd say a year." He finally answered.

Kayla let out a whimper, "I'm scared."

"So am I."

* * *

_Oh poor Thief and Other Thief. Of course I knew about it, but could I say anything? Of course not! Well, actually, yes…or no? Oh stupid tenses. But that doesn't matter. At least Other Thief isn't leaving Thief over the whole Bonded thing. I never liked those on Gallifrey…I miss home, and my sisters. _

* * *

**Little bit of the TARDIS being sad. I liked that. **

**But never mind the time machine, Kayla is turning into a Time Lady? What?**

**AND A REVIEWS!:**

**Aka-Baka Hoshi: I used to love bananas, but now I can't really stand them. Don't know why...**

**TimeLordCompanion: Thanks! The TARDIS is a lot of fun to write. **


	10. TGITF Pt 1

It was night time in France, and a party was, _had _actually, been happening at the Palace of Versailles. The people who hadn't been invited to the earlier party casted angry glares at the Palace. A few complaints came from their mouths, but otherwise, most of people had excepted the noise and the fact that they hadn't been invited.

* * *

Inside the Palace, however, the higher-ups of France in the 18th Century, the aristocrats, were panicking. Oh now they didn't care about their chipped nails, their messed up hairstyles that likely took hours to create, or the sequences on their masks. Instead, they were running and screaming, the women often tripping over their long gowns. They didn't understand what they were running from, just knowing that anything with sharp objects like that couldn't be good.

* * *

In a woman's bedroom however, it was peaceful. Anyone inside could almost imagine that the screams they could hear were just from a practically lose party.

But the only person inside knew that wasn't true, but despite that, this person was still focused only on a broken clock that sat on the mantelpiece. Behind her, a man's voice rose up from the others as he headed over to the private room.

"We are under attack!" He cried upon entering the room, "There are creatures...I don't even think they're human. We can't stop them." The man, King Louis XV actually, reported.

The woman whirled around. Though they were in a very bad moment, not one blond hair was out of place, "The clock is broken." Was all she replied with, "She's coming."

King Louis moved closer to the woman, "Did you hear what I said?" He asked, rather worried for his mistress that she wasn't moving. Had she not heard the screams?

The mistress to the king looked at him intensely, "Listen to me. There is a woman coming to Versailles. She has offered me advice whenever I have needed, and also has watched over and protected me. She will not desert me tonight."

"What are you talking about? What woman?" Louis asked her.

The woman smiled, "The only woman that has been a mother to me." She answered frankly, "Now go to your duties. I am your mistress. Go to your queen." Turning around, she dismissed the king in a manner that would have had anyone else's head chopped off. Instead, she knelt in front of the fire, looking into it with such urgency, it was alarming, "Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now, you promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time. Kayla! Kayla Harkness!"

* * *

3000 years later, the TARDIS landed inside a stationary spaceship. The Doctor held hands with a much better looking and feeling Kayla. Together, the couple walked outside by themselves. Originally, Rose and Mickey were going to go with them, but Mickey had suggested secretly to the Time Lord that he would like a nice, quiet, not very alien, date with Rose. Loving the idea because he would get to be alone with Kayla, the Doctor had sent the couple to a small planet that was the closest to what the couple would both like.

"An abandoned spaceship." Kayla stated, looking around the dusty room they had landed in, "Any idea what century?"

The Doctor merely took out his sonic and scanned the place, "Fifty-first century." He answered.

Kayla smiled, "I was born the fifty-second, but Jack was fifty-first boy." The smile slid off her face as she thought more about her missing, apparently immortal father.

Seeing this, the Doctor headed over to her and wrapped his arms around her, _'It's okay.' _He said in her mind, feeling the brunet shiver in his arms at how odd it was.

To the Doctor, it wasn't odd. He had grown up with people chattering in his mind and had done the same with the Deca, the group he had been a part of at the Academy, but Kayla? In her time, humans had barely realized that they could form mental links, and only a few actually had any links.

'_W-Will it get…easier?' _Kayla asked haltingly in his mind.

The Doctor squeezed her tighter, _'With practice, yeah.' _Kissing her deeply, the Doctor felt Kayla slowly relax. Of course, it the moment had to end, and as always, it was the Time Lord who ended it. Ignoring Kayla's mock pout, he headed over to a control panel. With a few nudges from his sonic screwdriver, a diagram of the ship appeared on screen.

Kayla, who was standing next to him, furrowed her eyebrows and titled her head, "Why are the warp engines going?" She wondered.

"There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe…and we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" the Doctor added on, already twisting knobs, "And look at that, the crew are gone." He noted softly.

Kayla smiled, "Mysterious spaceship, I like this date already." She commented, shoving the Doctor lightly in a playful manner. The Doctor started to blush but then tensed when he heard Kayla sneeze, "Sorry," she apologized quickly, "it smells like smoke, I'm allergic." She explained.

"Well…what's cooking then?" the Doctor asked, taking a deep breath himself. Pressing something, a door opened behind the two, causing them to whirl around. Smiling at each other, they walked through the sudden door only to see…18th century décor and a fireplace.

Kayla let out a laugh, "French eighteenth century?" She wondered.

The Doctor eyed the fireplace critically, "Nice mantel." He commented, already heading towards it and leaving Kayla behind. Rolling her eyes, Kayla followed him, "Not even a reproduction, this actually is an eighteenth century French fireplace. Double-sided, there's another room through there." He reported.

Kayla, however, crouched down. Instead of seeing the inside of the fireplace, she saw the curious glare of a young blond girl in her nightgown staring back at her, "Doctor!" She called, causing the Time Lord to look down.

"I'm gonna grab something from the TARDIS." He said. Before Kayla could protest, she wasn't that good with kids, the Doctor had already exited the room.

Rolling her eyes, Kayla muttered, "Right." Drawing out the word, she realized that the child was looking rather scared, "Guessing I should say hi." She stated.

"You should." The girl agreed.

Glancing behind her to see that the Doctor hadn't returned, Kayla ran through average social encounters with people, "Name. Birth date. Height." She rattled off before nearly cursing at the habit. The girl seemed a bit worried about the questions, "Or just name would be lovely." She added on.

"Reinette." The girl answered after reasonable hesitation.

Kayla nodded, "Where are you?" she wondered.

Reinette's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the question, "In my bedroom."

Once again, Kayla nodded, "But where is your bedroom? Where do you live?" Internally scoffing at the question, no child would be stupid enough to answer that.

Despite Kayla's thinking, Reinette smiled brightly at the question, "Paris, of course!" She exclaimed.

'_D-D-Doctor.' _Kayla barely managed to get out, now completely ignoring the girl.

Titling her head, her eyes narrowing again, the girl asked without any prompting from Kayla, "What are you doing in my fireplace?"

Startling, Kayla glanced behind her but saw no Time Lord, "No clue." She answered truthfully, "Odd question, but what year is it?"

"Of course I can! Seventeen hundred and twenty seven." Reinette answered.

Kayla smiled a bit, "Nice year. August isn't very good, stay indoors, oh and put out this fire before you go to bed." Glancing behind once again, Kayla didn't know whether or not to beam at the sight of the Time Lord, "Best be going!" she finished.

Reinette smiled, "Good night ma'am."

Getting up, Kayla headed over to the Doctor and glared at him, "Whatever you were getting from the TARDIS better have been good." She threatened.

The Doctor smiled and drew a jacket from his pocket, "It was chilly." He explained. At the look Kayla was giving him, the Doctor shrugged, "They're bigger on the inside." He added on, motioning to his pockets.

"Of course." Kayla stated, already zipping up the jacket, "No wonder there's so much power." She commented, "But still, France 1727?" She shook her head.

The Doctor walked over to the fireplace, "Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too." He told her. Tilting her head, Kayla started to ask but thought better of it and instead knelt on a different side of the wall. Of course, the instant she was there, it started to rotate, sending the Doctor back but taking Kayla away from the Doctor.

"Kayla!" he shouted, concern coloring his voice.

* * *

Rose did not like the Doctor's idea of a date she would like. Mickey however, from what the blond could tell, he was actually enjoying himself.

"Webbly's World of Wonders." He read off the sign at the park.

Rose rolled her eyes, "It's an amusement park." She deadpanned with annoyance.

Mickey grinned, "We've got an amusement park as a date!" He exclaimed with cheerfulness that the blond found grating.

Rose nearly let out a sigh, "What do you wanna do first?" She wondered.

Mickey's face fell, "You're the alien expert," he countered, "what do you want to do?"

"I've never been here." She told him, "But since it's an amusement park, I'm guessing it should have some roller coaster…yeah, let's go there." Not even waiting for her boyfriend, Rose headed off to the largest, busiest roller coaster she saw. Something like a pained grimace on his face, Mickey followed.

Any hope he had of a normal date were dashed at the thing that the couple were standing behind. It had, from what Mickey could see, ten long arms and then two legs. Of course, it was also yellow.

"Sunsisher." Rose whispered to Mickey, rolling the name off her tongue. Apparently hearing this, the alien turned around and fixed one of its five eyes on the two. Once it had turned back around, Rose added on in a whisper, "They have very good hearing."

* * *

Holding on for dear life as the fireplace finished turning, Kayla unclenched her white knuckles from the mantel and looked at the dark bedroom. From what she could tell, the person had to be a female child, and luckily, the child was asleep. Hopefully, it was Reinette, because then Kayla won't have to deal with awkward explanations. Like, 'Don't panic, I'm just popping in via the magical door that doubles as your fireplace' would ever work.

Musing to herself, she headed over to the window where she could see the dark skyline of Paris. Adding to its natural beauty was white powdery snow that was falling. It was peaceful...Kayla didn't like that.

A horse neighed in the distance, and behind her, the child sat up, her bed creaking. Hearing this, Kayla turned around. A brief moment happened as the two girls stared at each other, but oddly enough, it was Kayla who was panicking more than the child, who was indeed Reinette, "Don't scream! It's me, the fireplace person! I can show you." she cried out softly in alarm. Walking forwards, she sat down on Reinette's bed, "We were talking in your fireplace recently."

Reinette studied her face closely, "But that was weeks ago." She told Kayla, "Madame that was months!"

At the correction, Kayla's eyes widened in surprise, "Weak connection then." She muttered to herself. Ignoring the curious look from the child, the brunet got up and ran her hand on the mantel, her eyes mainly on the clock.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Reinette called from her bed. Despite being so young, she sounded very demanding.

Kayla didn't reply. Instead, she tapped the clock lightly, only now hearing a ticking noise, "That's not good…" she stated loud enough that Reinette could hear from her bed.

Though she wasn't looking at her, Kayla could imagine the blond tilting her head in confusion, "A broken clock isn't good?" the girl wondered with skepticism that anyone could find rude.

"Well this one isn't." Kayla countered, "This is the only clock in the room and it's broken," turning around, she peered at Reinette, "Then what's the ticking?"

The ticking, of course, grew louder, causing Reinette to glance around her room with a fearful eye, but Kayla kept on, "That isn't a clock, the resonance is too big. This noise is six feet tall, a man basically." She announced to the room.

Like any child, Reinette drew the sheets in a bunch under her chin, "What is it?" She asked with a shaking voice.

Drawing back the curtains but not finding anything, Kayla continued in her lazy traveling around the room, still talking to the room, "If I were a thing that ticked, I would break the anything else that ticks…like clocks. Otherwise you might start wondering if you're alone." Her face fell as a horrible thought came to her. She walked slowly over to Reinette's bed, "Get to the middle of the bed and don't put your hands or feet over the edge." She commanded.

Crouching down, she took out her sonic blaster, prepared to shoot, when something smacked her backwards, a single beam of laser shooting off and creating a mouse sized hole in the wall. Scrambling to her feet, Kayla dashed back over to the bed and looked underneath, only to see the feet of something she couldn't identify, wearing a typical aristocratic French dress. Her eyes widening, Kayla looked up at the blond child sitting in the middle of her bed, "Whatever you do, don't look around." She whispered the warning.

Straightening up, Kayla came face to face with the creepiest clown mask she had ever seen. It leered down at Reinette, and the poor child looked terrified. Not taking her eyes off the odd thing, the brunet addressed the child, "You stay exactly where you are." She warned her. Taking in the figure, yet another horrible thought came to the brunet. Very carefully, Kayla looked down at the blond girl, "I need to check your brain."

"Check my brain?" Reinette asked with a head tilt, but Kayla just waved her hand and put the tip of her gun to the girl's head. Very carefully, she ran the tip around the head, her teeth grinding when she lifted the gun to see the readings.

Glaring over at the thing with the mask, she spat, "You've been scanning her brain!" She accused. Glancing into Reinette's eyes for a small second, Kayla turned her sharp gaze back onto the creature, "You've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"

Reinette tapped Kayla's hand, causing the brunet to snap her head down, "I don't understand...it wants me?!" the child asked the brunet. Despite her earlier warning, Reinette looked over at the figure, but didn't flinch, "You want me?" She wondered, addressing the thing.

The figure's head twitched to one side, and when it spoke, it was in a mechanical voice, "Not yet. You are incomplete."

"'Incomplete?' What does that mean?" Kayla asked, but the machine didn't answer. Rolling her eyes, the brunet pointed her gun at the machine, "Answer me, now." She demanded, but the machine refused to answer. Instead, it started jerkily move around the bed. Right before it got to the side Kayla was on, the brunet grabbed Reinette and got her off the bed before pushing her towards the wall.

Keeping her back to said wall, Kayla glowered at the machine, so she was only slightly surprised when a menacing, sharp blade slid out rather close to her face. It was only her fast reflexes that saved her a nasty scratch, "Madame, be careful!" the blond child cried out from nearby the curtains.

"Don't worry Reinette, I'm quick." Kayla called almost lazily as she started to walk backwards to the fireplace, a smirk on her face, "I've been doing this all my life." She continued, jumping to the side as the machine tried to slash at her again. The blade instantly got stuck in the mantel of the fireplace, "And it helps that monsters have nightmares about my boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend? But Madam, you're wearing a ring." Reinette stated, causing the brunet to look down at her left hand and see the ring she had been wearing at the school.

Opening her mouth to reply, Kayla was suddenly out of time due to the machine's almost escape from the fireplace. With a wave of her fingers, she made the fireplace turn around and left with it.

* * *

"Mickey!" Rose cried out with laughter. The blond was sitting on a bench while her boyfriend tried to buy some food for them with the credit card, or something that _looked _like a credit card, that the Doctor had given them. Turning around, Mickey gave her a sour look as she chortled with glee while the alien behind the counter waved its four hands around as it talked.

Finally, he slumped over to Rose with a bag of…something, "The Doctor's poor." He announced, waving the useless card around, "Only two…whatevers the money is here."

Rose smirked, "He's the Doctor, what do you expect?" She asked, her smirk just growing at the glare Mickey sent her.

"I'd expect money. Isn't he a lord or something? I mean, if _I _were a lord, then I'd be rolling in money." Mickey stated as he sat down, trying to open the bag of things.

Rose's face hardened, "He's a _Time _Lord," She corrected none too lightly, "and the last at that." Not looking at Mickey, she took the other bag of food from him and opened it with ease. Mickey pouted at that and started to say something but soon thought better of it, the noise died in his throat.

* * *

"Kayla!" the Doctor shouted when he saw the fireplace turning. A grin started to form on his face, but it quickly fell when he saw the visitor that had come with her. Turning quickly, he grabbed a large, gun like object from the wall and sprayed what appeared to be ice on the machine. Convulsing in a last attempt to free itself it froze completely.

Worriedly, the Doctor ran over to Kayla who still hadn't moved only to let out a little gasp at the rather nasty, still bleeding, long scratch on her cheek, "Oh Kayla." He murmured.

"It's just a scratch, but never mind that. A fire extinguisher? Really?" Smiling, she hugged the Time Lord tightly.

Hugging back, the Doctor squeezed just a bit tighter at the mere thought of how close to death she had just danced. Finally, the pulled away to head over to the machine, "Shame about the face." The Doctor muttered.

Kayla nodded, "Is it…" not finishing her sentence, she pulled the mask and wig off the machine's head, revealing the amazing clockwork inside, covered and protected with a clear, plastic-like material in shape of an egg, "Wow." The brunet couldn't help but gasp.

"Oh, you are beautiful!" the Doctor agreed, already dragging out his glasses to admire the creature, "No really, you are, you're gorgeous! Look at that! Space age clockwork, I love it! I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart - and, by the way, count those - it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you."

Kayla smirked as the Doctor took a wistful look at the creature, one hand idly searching for his sonic screwdriver, "But luckily I'm a criminal." Kayla said, waving the screwdriver about in one hand.

The Doctor looked over at her, "Oh you little thief!" He cried out, a fake look of outrage on his face.

"Thank you." Turning back to the machine, Kayla let out a small curse that made the Doctor's ears turn red, "It's gone!" She snapped in frustration.

And so it was. While the two had been mock fighting, the machine had likely teleported away, the only way they'd know, the Doctor had told Kayla smugly, is if he used the sonic screwdriver. So Kayla had given back her stolen object and grumbled to herself as the Time Lord scanned the entire room.

Finally he turned to her, "Short range teleport, can't have got far. Could still be on board…" His voice trailed off as an excited look started to grow on his face.

Kayla, however, just rolled her eyes, "Now don't go looking for him." Kayla ordered.

"Fine." He grumbled like a child.

Rolling her eyes again, Kayla turned the fireplace, leaving the Doctor all alone, "Well this is rubbish." He announced to the room. Hoisting the fire extinguisher, the Time Lord headed off to kill the machine that had harmed his Kayla.

* * *

Rose was not likely the date the Doctor had sent herself and Mickey on. It was too much like Earth for her taste. The star that served as a sun boiled down on the massive crowds, and the food…well it was horrible. Sometimes the Doctor could be so stupid, and this idea, was one of those prime times.

Mickey, however, from what the blond could tell, he loved the amusement park. He was likely pretending that they were on Earth and not some alien planet.

Rolling her eyes, the blond looked on as Mickey bounced on a zoomer ride that looked like the moon, "You done?" She called, but Mickey didn't hear her. Sighing, she glanced down at her watch and then rolled her eyes again.

"Webbly's World of Wonders will be closing in an hour." A speaker suddenly announced, "Please make sure that you are gone in an hour, as this planet will be swept and gassed." Around her, the aliens all froze. Suddenly, there was silence. Even the children stopped laughing and looked up at their frighten parents. Much like a cartoon, a sudden mad dash for the exit happened and soon, Mickey and Rose were alone in the silent amusement park.

* * *

Kayla looked around at the bedroom. A makeover had now happened, replacing the pink and laces with rich red and gold, "Reinette…it's me, the fireplace lady." Kayla called out, stepping away from the mantel, "I'm just checking on you." Walking around, Kayla noted a harp that she skimmed her hand along, producing a horrible sound from the beautiful object, causing Kayla to wince. The sound of heals on the floor caused Kayla to glance to the door, only to see a young, rather beautiful, blond woman. She paused, obviously recognizing her, "Uh…hi." Kayla said, a look akin to someone that had been caught red handed on her face, "I was looking for Reinette…but I think the connection is a lot weaker than I originally thought. Is this still her room?"

Instead of the blond answering her, a woman's voice called, "Reinette! We're ready to go!"

The blond woman's face brightened at the voice, "Go to the carriage, ma'am, I will join you there." An relaxed grin started to spread across Kayla's face as she looked at Reinette, "It is customary, I think, to have an imaginary friend only during one's childhood. You are to be congratulated on your persistence." The blond said in a teasing way.

"I'm just very stubborn. It's bad about the link though, you've grown up." Kayla stated, giving her a slightly longer than nessiary look.

Reinette smirked, stepping forwards, "And you do not appear to have aged a single day." The blond glanced down at her left hand, "Nor have you taken your ring off. May I presume you have finally gotten engaged?"

Kayla also glanced down at her hand, "Uh, no. It's been a shorter time for me than you, and I haven't gotten to take the ring off…" The brunet shook her head, "But really, you best be off. A woman dressed like me in your bedroom?" She gestured down to her jeans and jacket, "I'm pretty sure that your…who were you talking to?"

Reinette's smile became forced, "My mother." Sh answered with hesitation.

"And you called her ma'am?" Kayla asked.

Reinette nodded, "We have a…tense relationship. She said you weren't real, so I said that you were my real mother. Obviously, that did not go well." The brunet nodded, but didn't say anything. She also didn't protest when the blond very carefully raised her hand and touched her hair, as if she was checking if it was real, "Well, you seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real."

Kayla smiled, "Reason is often wrong. Best not listen to it." She advised.

It was then that a servant, who sounded extremely cross, yelled down the corridor, "Mademoiselle! Your mother grows impatient."

Reinette's eyes flashed with annoyance, "A moment!" Sh called back. Turning back to Kayla, her eyes took a softer touch, "So many questions. So little time." She mumbled.

And then, somehow, Kayla was being hugged by Reinette, and the blond soon excelled to peppering her face with little pecks. It was as if she was being reunited with a very close friend, a relative of which she had longed for. Due to shock, the brunet stumbled backwards a bit before planting her feet a little more firmly.

"Mademoiselle Poisson!" The servant yelled again, sounding much closer. Reinette broke away and ran out of the open door, grabbing a purse as she went. Kayla watched her as she left, slightly shocked. Since she was staring at the door, she did not miss the servant arriving, his mouth gaping open at the sight of her, "Who the hell are you?" He barked.

Kayla just smirked, already grabbing hold of the fireplace. Her hands were searching for the trigger as she looked back at the servant, "I'm Kayla Harkness. And I'm Reinette Poisson's mother!" She answered.

* * *

Once the fireplace was in place, Kayla cried out, "Doctor!" But the Time Lord had disappeared. Sighing, she stepped off the mantel and started to walk out of the room, "Doctor!" She yelled again. Striding around a corner, she came face to face with a large white horse, "Right…"

* * *

Rose and Mickey were on the top of the farriers wheel when it stopped. The lights shut off on the ride, and soon, they were alone in pitch darkness.

"Oi! We're still up here!" Mickey yelled down at the ground.

"Mickey shut up!" Rose snapped.

Her boyfriend look over at her with annoyance, "Well you're not doing anything." He pointed out.

The blond rolled her eyes, "Because it's pointless. Didn't you see what was running the machine? Some kind of droid. And they aren't going to do anything for us. They must shut down or something." She explained slowly, like she was talking to an idiot.

"It's not my fault!" Mickey protested.

The blond rolled her eyes again, "Now, what do you think swept and gassed means?"

Mickey shrugged, "Something pretty bad. And scary."

"Oh yes. That cuts it down to everything I've seen Mickey." Rose snapped sarcastically.

Of course, only then did they find out.

* * *

The Doctor walked slowly down the hallway, pausing to look at certain objects, like the camera with an eye. Following the odd sound of a heartbeat, he paused at a panel. Using his sonic, he unlocked it and pulled it open, only feeling a little discomfort at the heat that would scald most humans. What he _hadn't _expected to see was a human heart wired up to the ship itself.

"That's a heart! A human heart!" He whispered in shock.

* * *

Kayla walked down the hallway, annoyed, "Doctor!" She yelled. Whirling around, she looked straight at the white horse that was, annoyingly, following her, "I am not your mother." She spat out, "And I want you to stop." She added.

The horse just nosed her, but Kayla brushed it off, already heading for the white, French double doors. Opening them, she smirked, "_This _is where you came from." She muttered.

* * *

Kayla stepped onto a grassy courtyard with a blink, trying to adjust to the light. When she had, she smiled a bit at the familiar blond that was walking, arm in arm, with a lovely looking black woman. Starting over, she paused to listen to the two speak, "Oh, Catherine, you are too wicked!" Reinette cried out with laughter.

The blond suddenly turned, looking quizzically at Kayla, who just waved and smiled, but made no move to come over. Nodding, she turned back to Catherine, "Oh, speaking of wicked, I hear Madame de Chateneux is ill and close to death." The woman said in a tone one uses when gossiping.

Reinette seemed to hide a smile, "Yes." She agreed carefully, "I am devastated." The serious air she had developed left as she started to laugh.

Catherine laughed along with her, "Oh, indeed. I myself am frequently inconsolable." Kayla smiled, glad that Reinette had _someone _while she was gone, "The King will therefore be requiring a new mistress. You love the King, of course?"

Reinette nodded, "He is the King. And I love him with all my heart. And I look forward to meeting him." While her friend laughed loudly, the blond turned around to stare at Kayla, tilting her head in an obvious question of why.

Seeing this, Catherine's brow puckered with worry, "Is something wrong, my dear?" She asked.

"Not wrong, no." Reinette said as she turned back to her friend. After a heavy pause, they linked arms again and walked on.

"Every woman in Paris knows your ambitions." Catherine stated.

Reinette nodded lightly, "Every woman in Paris shares them." She pointed out.

Catherine smiled, "You know of course that the King is to attend the Yew Tree ball?"

And soon, they were gone from Kayla's hearing range and sight.

* * *

Somehow, Mickey and Rose had gotten down from the ferries wheel and had gotten into one of the industrial like buildings. And not a moment too soon, because they had found out why everyone had been so worried about. Looking out the small window, the blond could clearly see a thick, toxic green gas that was slowly covering the planet.

"So that's gassed." Mickey stated, a horrified expression on his face, "For what?"

Rose shrugged, "No clue."

Turning away, the blond hugged Mickey tightly, only pulling apart when she heard a knock on the door.

"What was that?" Mickey whispered.

Rose's eyes traveled to the door, "A knock."

"But how?"

"I don't know."

Another knock sounded, causing the two to flinch, "You go get it." Rose hissed to her boyfriend, shoving him towards the door.

Mickey glanced behind at his girlfriend before he carefully opened the door, starting to cough and splutter at the gas that slowly poured in, "What the hell?!" He gasped out upon seeing the person standing there. Tears were streaming down their face.

"She's gone." He whispered as he staggered into the building. Instantly the door closed behind him as he nearly collapsed on the floor while he started to cry out.

* * *

The Doctor looked at the camera that was following him. He really wished it would stop. And that he could find Kayla and help her. Pausing at a window, he looked into a very nice, 18th century room, "Oh, France." He whispered out just as the room's doors opened. Two servants and the King entered the room.

"Spying on the King of France, are you?" Kayla asked suddenly from behind him.

Not even flinching, the Doctor nodded, "What have you been doing?"

"Oh, just meeting Madame de Pompadour and becoming her mother/imaginary friend." Kayla answered as the two gazed upon the King admiring himself in the mirror. The horse whined loudly, "And we got a pet." She added in as the horse trotted over.

The Doctor smiled at the horse before turning back to the mirror, "See these? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history..." He place finger on the glass as Reinette walked in, "Hers. Time window... deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?" He asked Kayla.

Kayla shrugged, "Who knows. It took me forever to figure out her name. Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, but goes by Reinette to her friends…and me."

"A regular mother hen." The Doctor commented with a smile.

Kayla just shook her head, "Oh don't you start." She glanced towards the mirror to see the King leaving, "The night of the Yew Tree ball. She and her friend were talking about it." She told the Doctor, who was looking at her rather than Reinette preening herself in the mirror.

Then, a louder than normal ticking sound started. Kayla's mouth opened in shock and she looked over at a mantel where, sure enough, the clock was shattered.

* * *

Reinette turned at the sound of the ticking noise. It was one she recognized, and one she feared, "How long have you been standing there?" She called to the figure with its back turned. From what she could tell, it was staring out the window, "Show yourself!" Responding to her command, it turned suddenly, already starting to advance on the terrified Reinette.

* * *

The Doctor grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and helped Kayla turn the heavy mirror so they could get to Pairs.

"Hello, Reinette. Hasn't time flown?" Kayla greeted as she and the Doctor left the mirror.

Reinette gasped, "Mother! And you've brought a friend!"

Ducking down, Kayla watched as the Doctor sprayed the machine until it was frozen and didn't let go of the gun, mostly because of the brunet's voice warning him in his head. And she was right, because soon, the machine whirred and clicked loudly.

"It's melting the ice." Kayla added in for the benefit of the frightened Reinette, who just nodded.

As soon as she said that, the machine's sharp knife-like object shot out at her, narrowly missing her throat, "Oi!" the Doctor sounded, "Who are you?" He asked it harshly.

But the machine didn't answer, "Order it to answer me." Kayla said to Reinette.

"Why should it listen to me?" the blond pointed out.

Kayla shrugged, "It did when you were a child." She pointed out.

With a worried look at her 'mother,' Reinette turned to the machine, "Answer her question. Answer any and all questions put to you." She ordered it.

The machine lowered it arm, "I am repair droid seven."

"What happened to the ship?" Kayla asked.

"Ion storm, eighty two percent systems failure." The droid answered.

The Doctor tilted his head, "That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?" he pointed out.

The droid pause for a second, "We did not have the parts." He finally answered.

Kayla's brow furrowed, "Then about the crew? Where are they?"

"We did not have the parts." The droid repeated.

"Oh." The Doctor mumbled, his eyes widening slightly. His horrible, hellish hunch had been correct, and that did not please him.

Kayla looked over at her the Doctor, "What oh? That was a bad oh."

The Doctor, out of the habit, grabbed the brunet's hand and squeezed it, "You used the crew, all fifty of them." He said in a horrified whisper.

Reinette let out a little whimper, "But what are you doing here? You've opened up time windows, that takes colossal energy. Why come here, you could have gone to your repair yard. Instead you come to eighteenth century France? Why?" the Doctor asked.

"One more part is required." The droid jerked its head to Reinette, who flinched back.

"Then take it. She's right there." Kayla pointed out, keeping her eyes, not on the droid, but on Reinette, who looked more than a little scared.

The droid tilted its head, and for a moment, Kayla fully expected it to take whatever part off of Reinette, but it didn't. Instead, it spoke again, "She is incomplete."

"So you're just opening windows into her future until she's complete?" the droid didn't answer, "And furthermore, why her?"

"We are the same." The droid answered.

Reinette shook her head, "We are not the same, we are in no sense the same!"

The droid turned its head to look at her, "We are the same." It repeated.

Reinette's eyes flashed with fury, "Get out of here! Get out of here this instance!" she yelled at it, advancing on the droid.

"Reinette don't!" Kayla yelled just as the droid teleported away.

The Doctor looked longingly at the mirror, but when he gave Kayla pleading look, she shook her head. Pouting, he watched as the brunet headed over to Reinette, "I've been practicing some with mental stuff." She started, "And I need to look inside your brain. It won't hurt…probably."

Despite the less than assuring speech, Reinette nodded and allowed Kayla to put her finger tips on her temple. A long pause followed until the blond gasped out, "Mother…you're in my brain." She whispered in shock, and it seemed to take a lot of effort for Kayla to nod.

* * *

**So, mega twist, as I said before, but I loved it. It was a lot of fun to change this episode. **

**With Reinette calling, Kayla 'mother' was a random thing I came up with while thinking about the next episode.**

**So, reviews time!**

**dream lightning: Poor Jack is right. It's sad to be without my American! **

**MargaretMacDonald123: Vague. Definitely vague. Seeing that I don't really read smutty stuff, it's not going to be smutty. It'll be implied, but not smutty. I might, however, right outtakes...but probably not. **


	11. TGITF Pt 2

Kayla's hands were still on Reinette's temple while the Doctor stayed tense, obviously worried that he would have to jump in and save his girlfriend from…stuff.

"You are in my memories. You walk among them." Reinette whispered.

Kayla just nodded again, "B-block off any memories that you don't want me to see." She told Reinette, her voice strained.

"Have you done this before?" Reinette asked.

There was a pause before Kayla answered, her voice just as strained as before, "No." She finally said, "What age are you?" She asked suddenly.

Reinette blinked at Kayla, "Twenty-three."

A long pause followed that was finally broken by Reinette, "Oh, such a hard childhood, if you can even call it that…" the blond muttered.

Kayla very slowly opened her eyes, "Uh…right." She said.

"Oh Kayla Harkness. So very scared. And alone. And angry."

"I thought I was mother." Kayla joked, but then her eyes popped open, "How did you find out my name?" She asked.

Reinette didn't answer, "Such a broken girl. Broken then and smashed now." Her eyes popped open, "How can you bear it?" she questioned with a tilt of her head.

Kayla stepped away. Behind her, the Doctor hurried over and pulled her into a hug, "How did you do that?" the Time Lord asked the worried looking Reinette harshly.

"Doctor don't." Kayla whispered.

Reinette shook her head, "A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction..." the Doctor and Kayla just stared at her, one's gaze filled with anger while the others was terrified.

"Oh mother." Reinette whispered. Very slowly, she walked over and joined the Doctor and Kayla in their hug, "My broken mother. Come and dance with us. Come and dance with your Lord." She commanded softly.

The Doctor and Kayla exchanged looks. Both nodding, they followed Reinette out of the room.

* * *

The Doctor twirled Kayla skillfully, not allowing anyone to take away _his _brunet away from him. Anyone who tried got a fierce glare from the Time Lord.

"Doctor!" Kayla laughed, smiling as the Doctor puller her oh-so-tighter to him.

The Doctor give her a cheeky look, "What?" He asked innocently.

Kayla gave him a look that was ruined by her mirth, "You haven't let go of me all evening." She pointed out, "Not that I mind but still, possessive much?" She waggled her eyebrows.

"I just want to keep you safe." The Doctor said, "And I will. I always will. I will never stop protecting you Kayla Harkness."

* * *

Rose and Mickey stared at the Doctor. The last of the Time Lords.

He was broken.

Hurt.

Alone.

"I failed." He repeated for the seventh time, Rose had been counting.

"Failed what Doctor?" the blond asked softly.

The Doctor gave her a haunting look filled with so much pain that it made the blond's heart ache for him, "I failed Kayla." He whispered, "I promise to protect her, and I didn't."

* * *

Madam de Pompadour, known by Reinette to her friends and 'mother,' looked up at the sky. Kayla was up there, up there with her Doctor. Since they weren't married, did that still make him her 'father?'

Shaking her head at silliness, Reinette lightly touched one of the panes of glass on the windows, when she froze. Footsteps were approaching. They were fast, and angry.

Whirling around, the blond checked the clock's face, but it wasn't smashed, which was good, because that let her clearly see a tall, lanky figure approaching.

"Madame de Pompadour—" the figure started, only to get cut off by her gasp, "Don't scream or do something like that. We don't have any time."

* * *

Once Reinette had gotten over the shock of her 'father' appearing, she had remembered her manners and offered-forced-him to sit down while she remained standing.

"They'll be here in five years. No idea what date, but sometime after your thirty-seventh birthday." He explained in a rush.

"But what about mother," the Doctor shivered, "is she alright?"

The Time Lord nodded, "She's getting everything ready. Don't worry about her."

Reinette gave him a look, "'Don't worry about her.'" She repeated, "How can I not worry about my mother? Where is she?"

The Doctor swallowed as the blond took a seat across from him, "There's a spaceship that's stalking you by punching holes into the universe to look into your life." He explained rather quickly.

The blond gave him a quizzical look, probably wondering if he was sane, "There is a vessel in your world... where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book so that she may step from one to the other without increase of age...while I, weary traveler...must always take the slower path?" she asked slowly.

"Well, if you want to morbid and dramatic…yeah." the Doctor said finally.

Once again, Reinette gave him a look, "So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?"

"Keep them talking. Talking's brilliant, I love talking…sorry." The Doctor tugged his ear awkwardly, "Right, just keep them talking." He finished rather lamely.

If Reinette was annoyed by the Time Lord's rambling, she didn't show it, "For how long?"

"Until Kayla and I can get there." The Doctor answered simply.

"She's coming…good. I need my mother." Reinette whispered.

The Doctor shivered again, "Doctor!" At Kayla's yell, the Time Lord tensed and started to run over to the tapestry just outside the door, "Doctor!" Kayla yelled again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He called back, unaware of Reinette following him.

Kayla stood behind the tapestry, "I found the window." She breathed out.

"And where is it mother?" At the question, the Doctor turned and stared at her while Kayla gave the Doctor's turned back a hard look.

Turning her gaze onto her 'daughter,' she took a moment to reply, "Do you wanna see the ship?" She offered, ignoring the Doctor's protests.

Eagerly, Reinette nodded.

* * *

The blond looked around her surroundings, her eyes widening in fear, "I am glad I was not raised as your daughter." She finally said.

Kayla swallowed roughly, "Uh, you might want to go now." She said softly, "I fixed the audio link…" her voice trailed off as the screams of Reinette's future echoed around the corridor.

"Those screams...is that my future?" Reinette asked, but Kayla gave her a hard look and didn't answer. Finally, the blond sighed, "Then I must take the slower path."

Then, off in the distance, Reinette's voice rose above all the screams, "Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now, you promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time."

Reinette looked at Kayla and the Doctor, highly disturbed, "That's my voice." She whispered.

Kayla gave her a sad look and very gently helped her back into France, trying her best to ignore the future Reinette yelling, "Kayla! Kayla Harkness!"

* * *

The screaming, aristocrats of France ran from the droids, who were armed.

* * *

Reinette was stilled kneeling before the fireplace, "Kayla Harkness! Mother!" She called, her voice no more than a plea.

King Louis XV gave his mistress an odd look, "We must go. No one is coming to help us." He told her urgently.

If Reinette had listened to the King's advice, then perhaps they would have been safe. But she hadn't. Instead, the blond gracefully got up from the floor and turned to face the clockwork droid standing in the doorway. Two more soon joined it, "You are complete. You will come."

The blond, however, felt like her heart was breaking. Where was Kayla? Where was her mother?

* * *

In the ballroom, the droids advanced on the guests, pushing them against the wall. Instead of fighting back, they just cowered and screamed.

* * *

Kayla banged on the time window in annoyance as the Doctor scanned something with his sonic, "That won't work." He muttered.

Kayla sighed and sat down next to him to help, "I know, it just feels good." She admitted.

* * *

One of the droids held Reinette roughly by the arm and dragged her down the corridor. Behind her, two droids held onto King Louis.

"Where are we going?" the blond nearly spat the question at the droid.

"The teleport has limited range. We must have proximity to the time portal."

Reinette struggled for a few seconds, "Your words mean nothing. You are nothing." She spat at the droid.

* * *

Kayla stared at the window, showing her the ballroom, with a longing, "Can I use my Vortex Manipulator?" she pleaded.

The Doctor gave her a sharp look, "You know the rules of time." He reminded in a mutter.

Kayla pouted, "Doctor…Reinette is the closest thing to a daughter I've had in a long time. I promised that I would help her, and I will. Breaking rules or not." The Doctor got up suddenly and grabbed her wrist.

"No." He said simply. Kayla gave him a sad look and very slowly pulled her wrist out of the Time Lord's grasp. She glanced down at her wrist and saw that the Doctor had taken her VM.

"Can everyone just calm down? Please." Reinette commanded from the ballroom.

* * *

The blond's eyes scanned the room, looking at her fellow French people, "Such a commotion. Such distressing noise. Kindly remember that this is Versailles. This is the Royal Court. And we are French." She turned her sharp gaze on the droids, "I have made a decision. And my decision is 'no' - I shall not be going with you today. I have seen your world, and I have no desire to set foot there again."

"We do not require your feet." The droid told her.

Without warning, two droid came up beside her and forced her to her knees. Any escape plan she had were quickly dashed by the knife-like objects at her. The droid that had been speaking approached her, "You think I fear you. But I do not fear you, even now. You are merely the nightmare of my childhood. The monster from under my bed. And if my nightmare can return to plague me, then rest assured –" She lowered her voice to a whisper, "yours girlfriend will come."

Completely ruining this threat was the sound of a horse whining. Reinette, the droids, and the guessed looked around in shock, but they could not find the source of the noise, even as they heard the sound of hooves galloping straight at them. Some ducked upon reflex, which was very smart because the giant mirror smashed as Kayla Harkness sat on a white stallion as it jumped out of the window.

Once the horse had halted, she jumped down and smiled at Reinette, "Hiya sweetie!" She greeted casually.

"What the hell is going on?" King Louis yelled.

Reinette glanced over at her lover, "Oh - this is my lover, the King of France."

Kayla let out a short laugh, "And I'm a Time Agent bad ass in better clothes." With a smirk, she gestured at her jeans and jacket as she walked over to the talkative droid, "So I'm gonna fix the clock." With a flourish, she took the mask off the droid's head. Around her, the crowd gasped but she ignored it, too focused on the knife-like object that she had ducked to avoid, "Forget it. It's over. For you and for me."

Slowly, Kayla looked at where the mirror had been. Instead, an ugly brick wall was revealed to everyone, "Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand..." the droid cocked its head at the wall.

* * *

"Kayla!" the Doctor yelled loudly, banging on the brick wall. He _had _to get her back. He couldn't lose her. He had already tried their mental connection, but it hadn't worked.

Dejectedly, he looked down at her Vortex Manipulator in his hands before he walked to his TARDIS. Pausing for a second, he knelt down and put it down right next to his TARDIS before he walked in and shut the door. After a few minutes, he flew it to Mickey and Rose.

* * *

The droid had repeatedly tried to use his teleport, and Kayla had just glared at it, offering no words of comfort for the French people. After a few tense, silent minutes, the leader winded down and it went dead. A few seconds later, the rest did too.

Kayla turned away from the gossiping French people and helped Reinette up, "What's happened to them?"

The brunet gave her a dark look, "They died." She answered simply.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Rose started, looking like she had a massive migraine.

The Doctor glared at her, "There is _nothing _to get straight!" He nearly yelled, "Kayla is gone and I failed her. But we are going back to that ship to wait."

* * *

Kayla looked out a window, her hands brushing the bare skin where her Vortex Manipulator usually sat. It would have been easy to blame the Doctor for getting stuck, but in all honesty, she had thought of none of the consequences. Now all she felt was guilt.

The brunet didn't turn when Reinette walked up, holding a glass of some frothy alcohol that Kayla had declined, "You're supposed to know them all by name, but you weren't good at memorizing names, so you only got half." She murmured.

"The Doctor knew them all." Kayla whispered softly, "But what are titles to a Time Lord?"

Reinette gave her 'mother' a pitying look, "I think I have an idea." She said. Putting down her drink, she took Kayla's hand, "Follow me."

* * *

Kayla was crying, actually crying, with joy. Clever Reinette had put her original fireplace in her bedroom. The brunet barely heard Reinette stammering with worry, "It appears undamaged, do you think it will still work?"

Instead of answering, Kayla made a noise that might have been a grunt. Nearly running, she went over to the fireplace and started to tap on the wood, "Loose connection!" She screamed suddenly, causing Reinette to flinch in shock.

"Mother," she started, "go and enjoy her life. But do not forget me." With a regretful look, she watched as Kayla Harkness held onto the revolving fireplace.

* * *

The Doctor had been staring at the fireplace for three hours and thirty minutes. Rose and Mickey were in the TARDIS. But the Time Lord had stayed. He hadn't given up, not yet, but he couldn't help but start to laugh slightly hysterically at the sight of the fireplace revolving.

And then…he and Kayla were hugging and kissing and crying, but he had never felt greater.

"Never do that again." The Doctor murmured, and Kayla nodded her head.

* * *

The journey ended after that. The Doctor had checked to see if Kayla wanted to go and say goodbye to Reinette, but when she had crouched at the fireplace to see inside, she had seen the blond older and sick. Not wanting to go through more emotions, they had left that part of their life behind and had went ahead to the TARDIS.

* * *

_Oh I don't like Webbly's World of Wonders. Too loud, and scary. Bad robots are bad. But poor Other Thief, and her daughter and Reinette and Thief and…oh who else? Well _not _poor Idiot and Flower! They did nothing! What about Susan though…no, she was on Earth. I wonder how she is? Or was? Or will be? No…I think it might be is…probably not though…_

* * *

**I love the TARDIS. Seriously. Bad robots are bad. LOL!**

**And review time!**

** .1806: I love their relationship too. So cute!**


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